


Children of Men

by JustKidd



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-06 23:11:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 74,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16396898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustKidd/pseuds/JustKidd
Summary: Cross-posted from FFN.The mad King Gangrel was waging a war against the Ylisseans. What would happen when the Prince of Ylisse met a Plegian Mercenary pledging vengeance on the Mad King? Can the enemy of an enemy be a friend? Or will their meeting sparked yet another bloodbath from an old wound never fully healed? Multiple OCs.





	1. Prologue

Fifteen years ago, a young boy was carrying a young girl on his back. The girl, hair dark as charcoal and eyes green like emeralds, rested her chin on his shoulder, whispering into his left ear.

"You okay Robin? You've been carrying me for half an hour now. We…  _You_  should take a rest."

"I'm fine. This is what friends do, right? I carry you when you sprain your ankle, and you cook me dinner every day for the rest of our lives." His answer won him a light chuckle from her. "And it'll be night soon. We can't have your mother worried you know."

"Thanks." She said, ruffling his brown hair playfully, netting her a " _Stop it!"_ from him. She tightened her arm around the boy's neck, not too tight, just enough for them to feel each other's warmth in the chilly evening.

* * *

Fifteen years ago, a young girl went to town with her parents to celebrate her seventh birthday. It was almost dusks, and they were sightseeing in the capitol before the celebration. It was also her first time seeing so many people gather in one place at any one time. The buildings were big, and beautiful lights illuminated the road. She halted her steps, admiring the scenery.

"Cordelia honey!" A voice quite some distance (for a child that is) in front of her snapped the girl out of her reverie. She looked to its direction to see a woman and a man smiling at her. "Hurry up, or we'll be late." The woman said, waving her hand.

"Yes, mother." The girl answered, quickly pacing to her parents. She tripped halfway through but managed to pick herself back up. She patted her new blouse a couple times and continued towards the adults. The red-haired lady picked her up and gave her a peck on both cheeks, making her giggled. The trio made their way to their destination.

* * *

Fifteen years ago, a young boy was helping his father in their workshop.

"Just be careful, 'right? Can't have yer hands burn now." He nodded at his father's caution. Taking a deep breath, and gulping the lump in his throat a few times, the boy grabbed a pair of metal tongs and reached into the blazing forge in front of him. Feeling with the tool, he grabbed his target and brought out a lump of smelted metal. He placed the scorching red steel on a nearby anvil and looked to his father.

"Good. I'mma start slow, 'kay?" The man reached for his hammer and proceeded to 'pat' the lump slowly.

* * *

Fifteen years ago, a young boy was waiting in a room full of other children. He looked across the room from where he was sitting. The boys and girls were wearing rough shirt and pants, both white in color, just like him. After some time, the only door to the room opened to reveal a person wearing a red cloak with the hood covering the head standing at the entrance.

"Number one-seven-three-nine. Your turn."  _A woman._  The boy slowly stood up and made his way towards her.

The door was closed once again as soon as he stepped outside. A faint click could then be heard, followed by footsteps getting away.

* * *

Fifteen years ago, a young girl was preparing a pot of tea. The master of the house was returning for the first time in two months. She never met her master. Apparently, he was a high ranking official of the Plegian Court, or so they said. The young maid paced through the kitchen, putting some light snacks on a metal tray and checking the temperature of the water. She stopped a few times to tighten her too-big-for-her apron. Making sure she had all the things in place, she brought the metal tray outside.

* * *

Fifteen years ago, a father was showing his daughter the fate of an alleged thief.

"Look at him." He said.

And that was exactly what the girl did. She just looked at the man, bruised and bloodied, begging for mercy from the guards having their way with him. She winced at every kick and blow from the men wearing the royal armors. Her father put his hand on the girl's shoulder. She looked at the Mark of Naga on his left hand with the corner of her eyes and raised her head to look at her father.

"Those lowlife Plegians thought they could come in our house and sullied our great halidom with their filthy blood." Her father's voice was full of malice, and she felt his grasp tightened on her shoulder.

* * *

Fifteen years ago, flames of war flickered at the words of one man. It burned two neighboring countries for years to come.


	2. Of Sword and Shield

His hair was brunette, a bit short, and quite messy. The kind you could see on most warriors in the country. His eyes were hazel and almost always scattered around skimming and hunting for irregularities in his surroundings. But not today. Today, they could barely focus on the muddy road in front of them. Oddly enough, he wore a dark brown cloak adorned with gold trims (the ones you usually see on a mage) over his mercenary outfit, effectively hiding the leather armors and pads from onlookers. Which again, very odd considering he didn't have any problem with showing the shield tied on his left hand and the steel sword secured on his hip. Alas, all of these details didn't matter right now, for he was bloodied all over.

"Hey! Hey you! You alright?"

He raised his head at the direction of the voice. Three figures were standing at a distance from him, one significantly bigger than the others. One of the silhouettes seemed to pace towards him.  _Great, another one._  His right hand reached for his sword.  _Wait, why is the ground moving?_

* * *

"How much longer?" A blonde girl asked, not exactly directing it to anyone in particular.

"Really Lissa? We've only been walking for an hour after the last stop." A man with blue hair answered, walking slightly faster in front of her. "And I'm pretty sure I told you we'll be going near the border today. Of course it's gonna be a long walk."

"Blergh!" The girl stuck her tongue out at him.

"Milady Lissa, please stay strong just a little bit more. At our current pace, we should be in Southtown in another fifteen to twenty minutes." Another man, larger than both siblings consoled her. He was walking slightly behind them, leading his horse by its reign.

"That's what you said half an hour ago!" She snarled, turning her head to face the heavily armored man. He just smiled at her comeback.

"Heads up you two." The blue-haired man warned, reaching for the sword on his hip. "Looks like party's starting early."

Lissa turned her head back to the road in front of her to see a man  _walking_ slowly towards them. He was slouching, and his steps were very unstable, almost like a drunkard walking. She squinted her eyes. "Chrom, wait! That man's injured!" She practically said, or more like, screamed at her brother.

"What?" Chrom sheathed his sword back and squinted his eyes as well. "Hey! Hey you! You alright?" He shouted.

Seeing the man was on the brink of falling down, the blunette started running towards the cloaked figure in the distance. Chrom flipped him on his back as soon as he reached him and checked for his injuries.

"Lissa, he needs you, now." He shouted to the blonde. By this time, Lissa had already reached the men. Her other companion closed behind her.

"Milord, milady, please be careful. That's a Plegian cloak. And of a high-ranking priest at that. He might be plotting this to get close to you to-"

"Oh chill out Freddie. We don't know if that's true. And besides, look at him. I don't think he'll be able to do anything right now." Lissa said to the bigger man, getting on her knees and started her healing.

"She's right Frederick. He's barely breathing. Why don't you come help me move him when Lissa finished. Southtown's not far from here. We should be able to get better treatment, or at the very least a room for him to rest."

"As you wish, milord."

* * *

Chrom looked at the man lying on the bed while Lissa attended to him.

"Well, he certainly had his fair share of fights I'd say." The young lord said, looking at the still-wet gash on the side of the brunette's gut, among others.

"Yes. Almost too much for one man." Frederick agreed.

Their sights broke when the door to the room opened revealing the village chief.

"Milords, the bandits! They're here!" He said with a huge frown on his face.

"Darn those dastards!" Chrom cursed. "Alright. Frederick, let's go. Lissa, you stay with him."

"Yes milord-"

"No!"

"What do you mean no?" The blunette asked the blonde. "What about him?" He added, pointing to the brunette lying on the bed.

"Unless one of you can use a staff, I don't see you two coming out of this unscratched. I'm coming as well." Lissa answered, wiping her hands. "And don't worry about him. Fortunately we were there just in time. He'll survive." She walked to the old man standing near the entrance. "I'm pretty sure he'll just sleep through all this, but keep an eye on him for us okay?"

The old man just nodded at her request.

*Sigh* "You're staying close to me, you got that?" Chrom instructed, ruffling his blue locks. "Let's go."

* * *

"Dear, are you out of your mind?" A woman's voice broke the silence of the room. Light wrinkles decorated her face, and patches of grey could be seen on her blonde hair. A small child was hugging her right leg. "You're not a young man anymore!" She raised her voice at her husband.

The village chief was now wearing a worn out leather armor. "I have to. We asked them to come and settle  _our_  bandit problem. I can't let them fight by themselves." The old man said, tapping the kite shield on his left arm, before strapping a steel sword on his hip.

"Don't be ridiculous! You're gonna get yourself killed!" She tried reasoning with him.

"Well, maybe I will, maybe I won't. But I have-" He was out of words when he felt a cold, metally sensation on his throat. It was only the flat part of a knife, but it did send shivers down his spine.

His wife was petrified at the unfolding scene.

"You know, if you want to die that badly, I'd be happy to help you." A voice colder than the steel on his neck pierced his ears from behind. "And… it's not nice playing with other people's belongings. Now, you have three seconds before your… granddaughter I presume?" The old man nodded slowly at the man's assumption. "Right, you have three seconds to tell we why am I here before she wished she just slept in for today."

"You were injured. Quit severely I might add. Luckily, Lord Chrom found you in time and brought you here for treatment." He said, surprisingly calm considering the situation.

"I see. And where is this  _Lord Chrom_  of yours now?"

"Bandits came when you were asleep. He went to meet them upfront."

"Bandits?" Both the village chief and his wife let out a sigh of relief when the thin metal piece distanced itself from his neck. He turned around to see their guest looking through a lightly opened window.

"Do you have a map?" He asked, still focusing on the scene outside.

The old woman just pointed at the rough sketching on the wall. The brown-haired man made his way to the 'painting'.

"I'm gonna need those back." He said, looking closely at the map in his hand.

"Y-yes, of course." The old man hastily untied the sword on his hip and the shield on his arm. He rested them against the bed. The younger man, bandaged abdomen and all, put on his outfit and picked up the arms.

"Ah, a perfect fit." He joked, gesturing himself to the family.

"Please sir. You can't be thinking out there in your condition."

"Why not? You think you have a better chance at them than me?" The brunette countered, looking directly at the older man. "I thought not." He smirked and made his way towards the old man. "Lock the door, barricade the entrance." He said, handing the knife from earlier to the village chief. "Use it wisely." The villager just nodded and took the knife from his hand.

* * *

"Milord, look out!" Frederick rushed in front of the two royals, shielding them from an incoming arrow. It hit him square in the chest and bounced off his thick armor. The great knight threw his javelin towards the archer, impaling him.

"Darn those dastards!" Chrom cursed. The three of them retreated towards the corner of a shop. "This isn't a usual raid. It's too organized." Chrom said, catching his breath while Lissa healed the cut on his left shoulder.

"Well, seeing they're not your run of the mill bandits, I agree. This is  _not_  a usual raid." A voice from behind them startled the trio. Chrom and Frederick readied their weapons for what's to come. The trio turned their heads to see the injured man from earlier was crouching behind them, complete with a sword and a shield in each hand. "I'm guessing you three are the ones that helped me, and for that, I thanked you,  _milords._ " He said, smiling.

"Peace, friend. There's no need for formalities. We saw an injured man, so we helped. Nothing more than that." Chrom said, when Lissa pinched his forearm out of the blue. Chrom cringed at the action. Looking at the cleric, he immediately knew what he had to do.

"Right, this is Lissa. She was the one that helped you. We just carried you here."

"Robin. My name's Robin." The brunette just nodded at the smiling blonde. "And as much as I'd like to know you better, I think we have a more pressing matter at hand.

"Yes, of course. You said they're not ordinary bandits, so what are they exactly?" Chrom asked.

"Well, for starters, they're actually soldiers, pretending to be bandits." Robin said, inching closer towards the Ylisseans.

"Now that you mention it, they did seemed to be more skillful than most. The kind you only get with rigorous training." Frederick finally broke his silence, but his eyes never strayed from the sword in Robin's hand.

Robin brought out the map he took earlier and placed in front of Chrom. "I might have a plan that could work, but I need to ask you something first." He raised his head and looked the blunette straight in the eyes.

"I ask you, Prince Chrom of Ylisse, next in line for the throne of the halidom, will you put your life and that of your subjects in the hands of a Plegian?"

The young lord looked at the brown-haired man in shock.  _So he's really a Plegian then? But why? Why is he so willing to let us know who he is?_ He stared straight into the man's deep, hazel eyes.

"If you're willing to trust three Ylissean strangers to the point of revealing your origin, then I shall do the same." Chrom said, gesturing his right hand at the man.

"Milord! Please reconsider. For all we know, this might be a ploy all along, and those  _are_  his men razing the village." Unsurprisingly, his most trusted steward cautioned him.

"That may be true, but do you see any other way out of this? We need all the help we can get now. And if this really is a trick, then we won't be much worse than we are now." The blunette answered, looking at the great knight.

Robin smiled and shook Chrom's hand. "Then it's settled. By this sword and shield, I promise you, you and your subjects  _will_ see the light of day tomorrow."

* * *

Chrom and Robin were crouching behind a fairly large cart, eyeing their surroundings. Robin had sent Frederick and Lissa to the other side of the village. A move that put both the lord and the great knight at ease.

"Three axes and a tome." Robin counted their enemies. "Shouldn't be too hard, assuming your steward can take care of their archers like we planned."

"Trust me. Frederick's the finest soldier you'll ever lay eyes upon."

"Here!"

"You're dead!"

"Find the other one!"

A commotion broke out from the other end. Robin just watched as the three fighters turned around and made their way towards the noise.

"I think that's our cue." The Plegian mouthed to the Ylissean prince and jumped out from their hiding place.

Robin zeroed in on the last of the unsuspecting trio. He arched his sword on the man's throat. With a fluid pull to the side, the fighter gagged and dropped to the ground, dying the area red.

"What the-" The fighter next to him shouted, turning his head and just looked at his friend whimpering on the ground. It took him a few seconds to realize what had happened. He gripped his axe and raised it above his head. He was ready to attack the brunette when a blue blur inserted itself between him and the man.

Utilizing the time the fighter took to get back his bearing, Chrom squeezed himself between his new friend and the attacker, just in time to parry his axe. Following his attack, the lord elbowed his throat. The man stopped in his spot, gasping for air. Chrom unleashed a diagonal slash onto the fighter, leaving a large, red line from his collarbone all the way to his gut. He followed his attack with a thrust to his chest.

"Take care of the other one." Robin said, making his way to the other target.

_The mage._  Robin raised his shield, anticipating an attack. And sure enough, the tome wielder shot a fireball at him. Robin did manage to block the ball of energy. But the force was enough to make him stop. He gritted his teeth as he felt a hole in his abdomen ripped apart.  _Damn it._  He lunged forward and slammed the hefty slab of steel on the magician's face, sending him on his back. Robin sank his sword on the man's chest, finishing his part.

"You alright?" Chrom asked as he approached a kneeling Robin. He was holding an opened vulnerary in his left hand and pressuring his gut with his right. His sword was still sticking in the enemy's chest beside him.

"I'll be fine. The wound just reopened. Let's hurry. If your friends managed to finish their part, there should be another one left.

"How can you be so sure?" Chrom extended his hand towards the Plegian.

"Lucky guess?" Robin grabbed the lord's hand.

* * *

"Hah! That's all you got?" Frederick stared at the man standing in front of him. This one was different than the others. He used an axe that somehow can change its course and went back to its master when thrown.  _Plegian trickery!_ He thought, covering his exposed shin with his hand. Lissa was sticking close to him, trying her best to make herself smaller behind him. Her staff had broken.

"Whatcha gonna do now, knighty!" The brute taunted. "You know, that lass behind you reeked of noble blood. After I killed you, think I'll take her home. Ylissean nobles fetch a good price in Plegia…"

Frederick eyes widened, and his jaw went stiff hearing the man's words. Lissa was clinging to his back, shaking. The knight reached for his lance and pushed himself upwards. He failed.

"Pretty big words for a small man!" A shout echoed from behind them. Lissa turned around to see Robin walked towards them rather casually. She tried to smile but stopped when she realized something peculiar.  _He's alone. Why is he alone? Where's Chrom? Oh gods, don't tell me…_ She couldn't continue her thought.

"Ah, just the man I was looking for." The axe wielder retorted. "Robin the Traitor. You know, his majesty offered twenty thousand golds for your head. And just so we're clear,  _only_  for your head _._ "

"Twenty grand? I'm flattered." Robin stopped beside the two crouching Ylisseans and subtly tapped his right foot two times.

Lissa somehow catched the gesture and furrowed her brows. Then it hit her. She looked to her right. A small smile crept up her face to see Chrom, crouching behind a tree in the fairly thick bush nearby.

"Seriously, do you really think he'll pay? This is Gangrel we're talking about."

"That's  _King Gangrel_  to you!" The man barked, "and it doesn't matter if he'd pay or not. Cutting that grin off your face's reward enough!" He threw his axe at the other Plegian.

_The hand axe._  The weapon of choice for a lot of Plegian brigands. Although there were many iterations over the years, varying in both size and design from region to region, all of them actually shared a common core structure. At a simple glance, it was a club with two metal blades on each side. Of course this is true for most axes. Upon further inspection, one could see that both blades were put together at a slight angle with each other. This difference was what made this particular axe wobbled when thrown. And if enough force was used, the axe should spin in the air and moved along a fixed trajectory to its target. A very good user could vary this trajectory by changing the way and the force used when throwing the axe, making it seemed like they were controlling the axe in mid-air. Some went as far as using blades of different weights and sizes to further vary the weapon's paths and range, adding to its versatility.

_Left shoulder._  Robin thought. He clenched his sword and retracted the left side of his body by one step. Just enough to give him space to maneuver. He parried the flying axe with his blade, throwing it off-balance. It dropped to the ground like a wyvern shot off the sky.

"Darn it!" The muscular Plegian reached for his other axe strapped on his back. He lunged towards Frederick and Lissa instead of Robin. He raised his hands, ready to strike the knight when a blue blur jumped in front of him.

Chrom slammed his sword at the axe in his hands. The momentum forced the man to turn sideways. The prince then rammed his right shoulder at him.

The 'bandit' met the ground with a loud thud. He clenched his axe, ready to throw it at the royal. He stopped and screamed when he felt a sharp pain stung his forearm. He shifted his gaze to see Robin's sword pinned his arm to the ground. "Damn you trait-"

His words were cut short when Chrom sunk his blade through his heart.

Robin sat down immediately after, sighing loudly.

"Wow! That was awesome! You two were completely in sync!" Lissa said excitedly, coming out from behind Frederick. "You okay Robin? You don't look so good."

Robin gave the blonde a look. He shifted the hem of his shirt, showing her what's underneath.

"Ugh, that looks bad. I'll go and see if the chief got any staff to spare. You guys just stay put."

* * *

Lissa did manage to get a spare staff from the village chief. The trio was healed to perfect health, or in Robin's case, movable condition.

"Right, now that that's over, I think a proper introduction is in order." The blue-headed Ylissean said. "As you already know, I'm Chrom, second-in-line to throne of Ylisse. That delicate one there is Lissa, my sister-"

"Hey! I am not delicate!"

"And this is Frederick, my most loyal and trusted friend."

Robin nodded to the great knight.

Frederick only stared at him.

"You have to forgive him, he's just cautious.  _Really, really cautious._ "

"Yeah, that's why his nickname's Frederick the Wary."

"A title I shall wear proudly, milady." Frederick said with an unchanged expression.

Robin just chuckled at the trio's banter. "It's fine. I won't trust me either. Anyway, I'm Robin." He said, extending his right hands towards Chrom. "Mercenary." He added, short.

Chrom took Robin's palm in his. "Now, if you don't mind, I want you to accompany us to the Capitol."

"So I'm going to be your prisoner now?"

"Depends." Frederick answered the Plegian instead of his lord. "We'll have to determine whether you'll pose any danger to the halidom first before we make any decision." His face was stoic as ever.

"Don't worry, you've showed me enough. We won't hurt you or anything. You have my word. Chrom assured the brunette. "And I can't say I'm not curious about your story."

Robin just sighed at their words. He gestured his hand towards the entrance of the village.

The four of them started their track back towards Ylisstol. Chrom was leading the way while Lissa chatted with the new addition to the group. Frederick was leading his horse in the back, keeping both eyes on the trio.


	3. Wings

In Ylisstol, specifically at an open field beside the barracks of the pegasus knights, steeds of all colors and sizes, winged or no could be seen grazing peacefully (the field was shared by both the land and aerial units of the royal guards). A couple of horses were running and, well, horsing around freely in the patch of green. A pegasus knight had just finished brushing her winged mount at the edge of the field.

"There, that should do it." She murmured, ruffling the winged-horse's mane. "Take me for a ride?" She asked, and was answered by a neigh from the horse. It nuzzled its nose affectionately against the woman's long, crimson hair.

"All right, that's enough, girl. I'm gonna go get your saddle and stuff so you just stay put, okay?"

The horse neighed for a second time before continued grazing the grass while her master went inside one of the barns nearby.

The pegasus knight's name was Cordelia. She went for a few minutes and came back with a saddle and leather rein designed specifically for mounting on aerial units. She put the seat on the white steed, gently shifting its wings by getting squished by the hard leather. Fastening the rein proved to be a more difficult task when she had to 'fight' her friend's affectionate nuzzling.

"Stop it." She said, playfully pushing the horse's head away from hers, and failed miserably when the beast kept on 'attacking' her hair.

"Phew. You're a handful sometimes, you know that?" Cordelia said, gently rubbing the sides of her mount's face. "Come on then. I want to get a few rounds in before lunch."

* * *

Meanwhile, about two hours march from the capitol, a band of six people and two horses were walking slowly towards Ylisstol.

Robin stretched his arms while walking. To say these past few days were eventful for the Plegian would be a severe understatement. First, he almost died trying to get away from the clutch of the Mad King. He was lucky three kind-hearted strangers, Ylisseans of all people found him just in time. Then, he had to team up with said Ylisseans who happened to be members of the royal family defend a village from his countrymen, dispatching his pursuers in the process. Of course, being a mercenary, switching side was never a problem for him, but getting attacked by walking corpses that fell from glowing portals on the sky, while the ground was splitting apart and spewing molten rocks was certainly a new experience for him. They were lucky one of Chrom's knights, a female cavalier came to their help, along with another two blue-headed strangers.

"Sheesh, what the hell was that last night?" Robin asked no one in particular. "And people say strange things happen in Plegia." He added.

"Well, in our defense, that was the first time we saw something like that as well." Chrom answered, turning his head slightly to face the brunette.

"Riiight. And you see three different, totally unrelated blue-headed men everyday then?" Robin's remark won him a light chuckle from the female knight and a full –out laughter from Lissa. And frowns from both Chrom and Frederick.

"He's right you know." The blonde princess said, still laughing. "I never see anyone with blue hair other than you and mom until last night."

"Friends, please. As I've told before, I am from Roseanne, the land of exquisite beauty-" The other blunette, albeit with a longer hair and lighter shade of blue finally spoke.

"And you're here in a quest to find other authentic beauty, like Sully here, to bring back to your country." Lissa cut him off before he managed to finish his sentence. "You've told us that a hundred times Virion."

"Ah, but I cannot help myself milady Lissa, for her beauty-"

"is perfection itself, we know!" Lissa and Sully cut the archer off at the same time.

"Now you better shut your mouth ruffles, or I'm gonna gag you again for the rest of this journey." Sully added, glaring daggers at the man from atop of her horse.

Chrom only managed to sigh and rub the bridge of his nose at hearing the scene behind him.  _This is gonna be a very long walk home._

* * *

Cordelia always loved flying. Before she was even old enough to ride the ordinary horses, her mother would bring her flying on her pegasus all the time. She loved how the wind would go through her hair. She loved how the miniscule droplets of water would splash her face whenever she went bursting through the clouds, all white and fluffy like a newly made pillow. And the view. She loved how the blue of the sky, the green of the forest, the colorful rooftop of man-made buildings all blended together in her eyes. And most importantly, she loved the fact that she was alone that instance, that she could forget all her earthly problems, even just for a moment. She could forget all about  _him_ , she could forget all about  _her_. This place was hers, and just hers alone.

A neigh from her companion broke the knight from her reverie. She opened her eyes and gently rubbed the pegasus neck. "You're right, that's enough for today. Let's go back."

* * *

Cordelia was done putting out her equipments when a shout at the entrance of the barn caught her attention.

"Hey Cordy, you done with your escaping from real world stuff for today? I'm starving."

Cordelia pursed her lips at hearing the voice, and went to see the woman waiting for her at the door. "What're you doing here? I thought you were with Commander Phila, getting ready for your promotion."

"I'm done. She said I can have the rest of the day off. Let's go get something to eat."

Cordelia looked at the owner of the green pools smiling back at her and sighed. "Your treat." She answered, short.

"Sure, that what big sisters do, right?" She said, grabbing the crimson-haired lady's hand and dragged her to town.

The women went to a more quiet side of town and were now sitting inside a half-packed restaurant. Cordelia ordered a plate of sandwich while the other pegasus knight ordered a plate of toasted bread with chunks of roasted meat on the side.

"Ugh, I can't believe you ordered meat again today. Didn't you just eat that thing last night?" Cordelia said, taking a bite off of her sandwich.

"It's fine. I'll burn these all up before the week's end." The black-haired lady sitting across her said. "Anyway, I've noticed you went up more and more lately. So, have you found a way to the prince's heart yet?" She added, sticking a fork in a chunk of meat.

Cordelia was out of words at the woman's sudden question. She stopped chewing her sandwich and rested the rest back with the others. "H-wh-huh?"

"Oh please. Everyone in the country knows about your massive crush on him by now. Except maybe the prince himself, and Sumia. You know, that girl can make any men fall for her whether she realizes it or not. A word of advice, don't let them by themselves if you're serious about him."

Cordelia took a sip from her glass of water and let out a very audible sigh.

"Hey, haven't heard that in a while now. I thought you've lost it somewhere."

Cordelia ignored the teasing. "I can't do that, she's my friend. And they're both adults. I don't have any say in their lives whether I like it or not." She pushed her plate to the side and rested her head on the table. "And besides, it's not like I have any chance at all. He barely notices me…"

"That's because you're too bland." Cordelia furrowed her brows at the statement.

* * *

"I'm bland?" Both women were done with their food and were walking to a different side of town.

"Sorry, bland is a very strong word. You're too… perfect. Yeah, that's it."

"I'm what now?"

"Think about it. Sumia's got this innocent charm around her that makes all the guys want to protect her, and I'm sure Sully's really funny underneath all the… Sullyness. You're just… you. Like her." She said, pointing her finger at a crowd in the distance.

Cordelia looked at the direction.  _Lady Emmeryn._  "Really? You're comparing me with the Exalt?"

"Yeah, you're too perfect, both of you. From the outside at least. You're nice to look and admire from afar, and most guys would only dream of wooing you, but-"

"I scared them to the point they won't even looked at me when I'm near." Cordelia finished her sentence for her. *Sigh* "Now that's just depressing."

"Oh, cheer up. Even if the prince won't, I'm sure someone will notice you. Eventually."

"Yeah, when I'm all wrinkled up and living with nine cats or something. I'll scare them for real when that happened."

"Alright, no more negativity. Come on." She grabbed Cordelia's wrist. "I'm buying you something, and you're treating me dessert afterwards."

"You're eating again?" The crimson-haired knight protested, letting herself getting dragged again by the smaller woman.

The ladies arrived at a small accessory shop right around the corner.

"So, which ones do you like?"

"Just get me something cheap and practical. They're not paying me all that much you know." Cordelia said rather indifferently. Her eyes were busy with her surroundings while the other pegasus knight was looking at the goods. Then, she caught something in the distance with the corner of her eyes. Something bluish and was moving directly towards the castle.  _Captain Chrom. He's back. Looks like he's bringing new recruits as well. That's good. We'll need all the help we can get if another war broke out. Hopefully not though._

"Here, try this." Cordelia was pulled back to reality when her partner pinched her earlobes. "Nope, too gaudy. Hey, what about these?"

Cordelia looked at the palm gestured in front of her. "Hairclips?" A pair of small, white wings was staring back at her. She took the small accessories and put them on her head.

"Perfect. We'll take 'em." The other woman said, handing the shopkeeper a few silver coins. "Now, for those desserts."

Cordelia looked at the woman smiling in front of her and sighed. "Come on then. Can't have them close on us."


	4. What a Small World

"Well, here we are." Chrom said. "We're gonna take Robin to meet Emm first. Why don't you show Virion the barracks." He added, looking at Sully.

The female cavalier just nodded from atop her horse and made way to the corner of the castle, ignoring the blue-headed archer talking to her.

Chrom and Lissa started walking towards the entrance. Robin followed the siblings while Frederick headed to where Sully and Virion went earlier. Robin looked at the great knight with the corner of his eyes.

He's not coming?"

Chrom and Lissa just chuckled at the mercenary's question.

"Maybe later." Chrom answered, saluting one of the guards at the entrance.

Robin's eyes went wild through his surroundings as he entered the castle. He made sure to commit the layout of building to his mind. A couple maidservants whispered with each other when they saw the brown-headed Plegian walking with the royals. The guards corrected their stance upon seeing the blue-haired prince.

They went through another wide corridor before entering another entrance almost as big as the main entrance.

"She's not here. Must be in her office then." Chrom started stretching. "I do hope Frederick went to check her as well."

Robin ignored the two siblings, gazing through the four corners of the grand hall. His eyes moved from the main pillars in the room, to the supporting beams strengthening the structure above, to the wide, tinted windows that changed the tone of the sunlight coming through, to the narrow corridors on the second floor. Robin took it all to his memory, a habit he picked up from countless numbers of assassination attempts, both on the giving and receiving ends.  _Killbox._

"Robin? Something wrong?" Robin snapped back to reality to find Lissa standing near him, waving her hand in front of his face.

"Huh? Oh nothing, no… it's just… wow! Is this the throne room?"

"Yup, it's where Emm do her Exalty stuffs. You know, when she's not busy being the best big sister in the world." The blonde cleric answered, beaming a smile at her new friend.

Their conversation was cut short when the door creaked open and revealed Frederick at the entrance. Two figures were standing behind him.

"Milord, apologize for the long wait. Her highness was preoccupied." The great knight said, taking a step into the room.

Two blonde women followed him inside. One had the mark of Naga on her forehead and wore a green robe. The other had her hair in a bun and looked to be a falcon knight.

The knight unsheathed her sword and went in front of the Exalt at the sight of the Plegian mercenary.

"Phila…" Emmeryn's soft voice barely reached Robin.

"Sir Frederick!" Phila shouted. "You said Prince Chrom wanted her highness to meet this Plegian mercenary because he had helped us with our issue in Southtown and the strange incident last night." Her action prompted both Chrom and Frederick to go into defensive stance. "You failed to mention he's the Silver Sanctum's Chief of Operations." The prince and his steward widened their eyes at the new revelation. Both men looked at the smiling brunette in the room.

"Peace, Phila." Emmeryn's voice again rose from behind the falcon knight. "Chrom brought him here because he trusted him. And that's enough for me." She added, showing herself to her guest.

"But, milady. What if he's a spy sent by the Mad Ki-"

"Then that will be our problem for another time. But for today, we owe him an apology, and gratitude for his deeds." The Exalt stepped in front of Phila and Frederick and bowed to the Plegian. "Sir Robin, please forgive the conducts of my subjects, and thank you for helping my siblings as well. Ylisse welcomes you."

"Please, Lady Emmeryn. There's no need for formalities. And a leader of a country shouldn't lower her head in front of her subjects, especially not to a mercenary." Emmeryn raised her head at Robin's words.

"Chief of Operations eh?" Chrom sheathed his sword. "Guess all those things you pulled weren't from mere luck then."

"You should've seen him Emm," Lissa broke her silence, "he read the battle like an open book. Those ruffians and the… things last night never stood a chance." She added, making her way to the eldest of the royal siblings.

"I see. Then I am glad you were there Sir Robin." Emmeryn thanked the mercenary, patting Lissa's head while the younger woman hugged her.

"Please, there's no need for that. They saved my life first, it's the least I can do. So now we're even. Anyway," Robin turned to face Chrom, "why did you bring me here? Don't tell me you just want the Exalt to thank me personally for helping her brother and sister."

"How about a job then?" The blue-headed prince answered almost instantly. "I was going to treat you to Ylisse's finest and let you go, but there's no way I'm doing it after hearing all that. We could use a man like you in the Sheperds. What do you say to fighting in this side of the fence for a change?"

"You want me to tend sheep with you?" Robin asked rather sarcastically.

Chrom just nodded at the question. "Of course I won't hold it against you if you don't want to. But you don't have to tell me now. It'll be Ylisse's anniversary in a week, and we'll be celebrating until then. You can tell me your answer once it's over."

"Then I'll stay and at least see how Ylisseans celebrate something for a change."

"Wait, does this mean you might leave after a week?" Robin just shrugged at Lissa's question, prompting the blonde princess to pounce at the mercenary's arms. Every eye in the room now focused on her. "What? He never finished his story on our journey here, and we may never see him again. I need to know the ending before the week's over."

Chrom pinched the bridge of his nose. Emmeryn and Robin just chuckled. Frederick and Phila just watched as the blonde dragged the brunette to another door at the side of the room.

* * *

Robin and the others exited the throne room to a corridor fronting a small garden where two pegasus knights were talking. One had long, straight, crimson hair, while the other tied her deep, black hair into twintails.

"Look like they're done." Cordelia said.

The black-haired woman turned around to face the group coming out of the room. Her eyes widened at the sight of Robin. Heat started creeping to her eyes, and her lips slanted upwards ever so slightly.

"Robin? Is that you? Is that really you?" Her voice was ecstatic.

Robin looked at the woman in front of him, taking in her features. He looked at her cheeks, at her smiling lips, at her slightly pointed nose. He looked at the green eyes staring back at him. He looked at the charcoal black hair, and one name suddenly popped in his mind. A name he hadn't heard for a very long time. A name he hadn't spoken for a very long time.

"Severa?"

Severa's smiled was so bright it was enough to blind all those present. She lunged to the brunette before her.

Cordelia just watched as Lissa sidestepped to the side, making way for Severa. The redhead closed her eyes as the black-haired woman dove headfirst to the brunette's gut. She cringed when she heard the man gasped for air. She finally opened her eyes again when she heard a loud thud on the floor. She raised her face when she heard her superior's voice echoed through the corridor.

"Captain Severa! Must I remind you that you are in the presence of the Exalt right now?"

If the fall didn't break her from her thought, the shout certainly did. Severa stood up, followed by Robin, rubbing the back of his head.

"And why are you even here? I thought you were dismissed for today." Phila asked.

"Y-yes. I'm very sorry about that your highness." Emmeryn just smiled at the knight. "And as for the reason I'm here, commander…" Severa said, smiling sheepishly. "I might have forgotten to take a Master Seal from the armory earlier, so…"

Phila sighed at the woman's answer. "And to think I actually authorized your promotion the other day. Follow me then. You too Cordelia, I have something to tell you." Phila turned to face Emmeryn, "if you'll excuse me your highness." She said and started walking to the other direction.

Severa mouthed "Later" to Robin and made her way after her superior.

Cordelia just nodded at the group as she walked passed them, trying her best to time it so she'd do it in front of the blue-headed prince.

Robin just watched as the three women disappeared into a corner at the end of the corridor.

* * *

It was dusk and Robin was sitting on the small stairs fronting the garden near the throne room, staring aimlessly as the reddish tint on the sky went darker and darker.

"Mind if I join you?"

Robin turned his head to face the woman behind him. He shot her a smile. "It's your castle." He answered.

Emmeryn smiled and took a seat beside the Plegian. They sat there for a while, looking at the moon slowly showing itself.

"So, the Exalt huh?" Robin finally spoke. "How long has it been now? Five years?"

"Five years, ten months, three weeks, and six days."

"Wow, almost six years now. How've you been?"

"I-I'm fine. But I do wonder sometimes, was it really a good idea for me to take the throne when I did. I kept asking myself, wouldn't it be better if someone else, someone more capable became the Exalt. Then maybe, just maybe, the hostilities between Plegia and Ylisse would end at my father's."

"I wouldn't count on that." Emmeryn furrowed her brows at Robin's words. "With the countries as it is, it's bound to happen sooner or later. If not Gangrel, someone else will find a reason for it."

"So, as a tactician that had been in one, you really think a war is inevitable?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Like the last one, all it need is just one person. A Plegian seeking revenge or an Ylissean still trapped in your father's doctrine for the wheel to start spinning again. And until either one, or both, crumbled to the ground, there's no stopping it this time."

"I… see."

Emmeryn was about to open her mouth when a shout calling for Robin stopped her. The mercenary and the leader turned their heads to find Severa was behind them.

"Oh, I-I'm very sorry for this your highness. It's just-"

"It's fine. I'm retiring for the night anyways." Emmeryn said and stood up. "It was nice talking with you Sir Robin. Maybe you could indulge me with one of your stories someday." She said to Robin and smiled to Severa.

Severa took Emmeryn's place beside Robin. For a reunion after fifteen years of separation, they were surprisingly quiet, until Severa decided she had enough.

"We tried looking for you…" She said somberly, bringing her knees to her chin and continued. "After the war broke out, father did his best to find you. Whenever he'd heard about children that lost their parents, he'd go there and tried to help anyway he could. He even sneaked into Plegia a few times searching for you. He managed to save some Plegian children too, but… they weren't you. He thought the war had claimed you, so he finally decided to start focusing on Ylisse…"

"I see. Lord Marcus's a good man. How is he now?"

"He's… gone. The priest said all those travels finally caught up to him. It'll be three years in a few months."

"Sev…" Robin turned to face his childhood friend. "And Lady Erika?" He asked.

Severa beamed him a sad smile. "Oh, mother's fine. She's still there in the old house. Can't wait to tell her I finally found her Little Robin." She said, wiping the traces of tears pooling at the edge of her eyes.

Robin just smiled at her.

"Sev? You're still here?"

A voice from the corridor startled them. Robin and Severa looked to the direction to find Cordelia behind them.

"Oh, hey Cordy. So the commander finally decided to let you go?" Cordelia nodded at the question.

Severa shifted her gaze from Cordelia, to Robin, to Cordelia again a few times and clapped her hands. "Right, let me introduce you two. Robin, this is Cordelia, my adopted sister. Cordelia, Robin. Childhood friend." She said, gesturing to both of them.

Robin and Cordelia nodded to each other just as they did earlier.

Severa stood up and grabbed Cordelia by her arm, startling the crimson-haired knight. She looked to Robin and said, "Commander Phila said you'll be here for at least another week, so I'll see you tomorrow then?" She waited for Robin to nod his head before letting Cordelia dragged her away.

* * *

"So that's Robin I've been hearing about all this time?" Cordelia asked.

"Mm-hm. So, what do you think?" Severa answered and asked her own question, still clinging to her sister's arm.

"He's certainly easy on the eyes, I'll give you that."

"Yeah, well, you can't have him. He's mine."

Cordelia rolled her eyes at Severa's remark, and for the first time since she could remember, dragged her sister to their shared room in the pegasus knight's quarters.


	5. Bonds

The next day, Lissa finally let Robin go after he promised he'd stay in Ylisse until he at least finished the story he was telling her. He was alone, sitting in front of the fountain in the central square.

Robin silently looked at his surroundings. When Chrom said they'd be celebrating, he wasn't kidding. The streets were bustling with people, big and small, old and young, having a good time. There were stalls at every direction, each with foods and drinks and items to sell. The sound of musical instruments, complimented by people shouting and dancing and laughing 'invaded' his ears. They even got a few of the Anna sisters set up shop, arguing and hustling with some customers. It was the first time Robin had seen more than one Anna at the same time, which was creepy even to him.

The atmosphere was a little too exciting for Robin's taste, but he didn't mind. It reminded him to his family. The only ones he'd been calling family for these past few years. It baffled him to this day how a group of twenty people could make noise equivalent to that of a city. Robin closed his eyes and rested his back on the bench near the fountain and let himself drowned in the atmosphere.

Robin opened his eyes when he heard his name was called amidst the sounds.

Severa was standing in front of him.

"Nice dream?" Robin nodded at Severa's question. "So, where do you wanna go first?"

Robin stood up and stretched his arms. "Last time I checked, you're the Ylissean." He said, lowering his hood.

"Then let's go get something to eat first. You must be starving." The Plegian just smiled as he let the Ylissean dragged him away from the bustling square.

* * *

They were sitting inside a restaurant in what Robin could only describe as the quiet part of the capitol. It was serene and relaxing he could hardly believe they were still in Ylisstol with the ongoing celebration. He observed the inside of the shop while waiting for their order to come.

The shop itself wasn't particularly big or full of customers, but that could be because of the time, he thought. There was no wall segregating the dining and the kitchen area, so the customers could actually see their orders being prepared. The tables and chairs were organized neatly as well, albeit a little bit cramped.

Robin's eyes went to the other customers in the shop, a family of three, at least that what he thought, sitting in the far corner opposite of him.

The mother was wiping the daughter's mouth while saying something to the child. The girl shook her head playfully, and the father seemed to flash two types of cake(?), one red, one purple, in front of the child. The cycle continued all over again when the girl took one and stuffed it in her mouth.

Robin chuckled at the scene playing in front of him.

"Something's wrong?" Severa asked.

"Mm?" Robin changed his sight to the woman sitting directly in front of him. "Oh, it's nothing. It's just… nice. Haven't been in this kinda place in a while…"

A shout from the back of the kitchen interrupted their conversation. A middle-aged woman came out carrying some plates and new aroma of spices and roasted meat seeped through the air.

"Here you go. A set of deer steak with spicy sauce and grilled fish with side salad." Robin just watched as she put their orders in front of him. "Will that be a- Severa? You're not with Cordelia today? Wait, I didn't screw up your orders right?" She furrowed her brows and shifted her gaze from a piece of paper in her hand and the dishes on the table a few times.

"I believe these are what we ordered. Thank you." Robin beamed his best smile when the woman turned her head to face him.

She looked at the brown-haired man for a few seconds. "Oooh…" She nodded, putting her palms together. "Enjoy your meal then. How about some desserts after? On the house."

"Oh, thank you. That would be splendid. But I have to insist on paying… because I don't think this even consider as her appetizer." Robin said, smiling charmingly.

"Oh, you bet. You should've come after her practice. We need to re-order the ingredients or we'd have to close early every time." She said, laughing with Robin.

"Hey! I'm still here you two."

"Yes, we know hun." The lady said, patting the younger woman's head. "You just enjoy your meal. I'm gonna go and get the desserts ready. And don't worry 'bout the payment kay?" She added, laughing all the way to the kitchen. "Hey dear, guess who Severa brought today?"

Severa ignored the last sentence that came from the woman's mouth. "Really? Why'd you have to encourage her?" She said as she reached for her utensils. She pouted when Robin just smiled at her question. "That's it. I'm taking your steak." She said, sticking her fork into the slab of the still smoking deer meat.

Robin was still smiling as his childhood friend consumed his lunch. He had to order another plate of deer meat steak before they could get their dessert.

* * *

Robin and Severa were back at the town square, browsing through the stalls set up there. They were surrounded by the Anna sisters at one of their stalls, which was never a good sign in Robin's book. Severa was arguing with one of the redheads.

"What? That's too much!"

"Well, good things gonna cost you. That's just how the world goes."

"Come on. Me and Cordy's been buying from you guys since forever. Can't we have some discounts today? It's the celebration of the year. You'll make it back in no time."

"Sorry love. These ones from Valm. Don't compare 'em to the local stuffs you bought. You can't even get the materials here. And don't get me started on the works, I mean, look at it." The redhead showed the thing in her hand to the black-haired woman.

Severa looked at the bracelet in Anna's hand. She pursed her lips and clenched her fists lightly as the merchant traced the intricate engravings on the bracelet's surface. She was about to open her mouth again when Robin picked it up from Anna's hand.

"That's enough you two. Let's not kill each other for a piece of metal tied to a leather strip." He said, eyeing the piece of accessory in his hand. "Tell you what, how much can you cut if we take two of these things today?"

"Well well, so the gentleman knows how to talk business." Anna said, rubbing her palms in front of Robin and Severa. "For you handsome, we'll give you ten percent each."

Robin just stared at the redhead.

"Ugh, you really know how to talk business. Fifteen each then, just 'cause you've been really good to us sisters over the years. And don't tell anyone. Can't have all our customers come asking for discounts every day now, can we?"

Robin finally smiled at the offer.

* * *

Red tint started to 'burn' the sky over Ylisstol. Robin and Severa were sitting near the fountain at the heart of the town. Severa was gripping Robin's arm with both hands.

"Hold still will you?"

"Sev, I didn't buy these just so you can put it on me. Why don't you give this one to your sister? I'm sure she'd be more thrilled than me."

"What? No! That'll be weird, us sisters wearing the same kinda bracelets." Robin was slack-jawed at Severa's comment. "And besides, Cordy doesn't really care about this. sort. of…"

Severa's eyes widened as she realized the store started to have lights, candles and oil-lamps of all shapes and sizes at their stores. The street musicians had changed their songs for quite some time now, and the moon was already showing its face for the world to see.

"Shoot, Cordy's gonna kill me." She stood up. "Sorry Robin, gotta go. Just… keep an eye on the sky this next few days okay?" She said, making her way to the pegasus knights' barracks.

* * *

"I'm going to strangle her." Cordelia said to herself as she watched a pair of pegasi grazing the grass in front of her. A small harp was lying on the grass beside her, along with a half-eaten sandwich, neatly wrapped in a piece of cloth, and an opened water canteen.

"Cordy!"

Cordelia turned her head to see Severa ran towards her. Her twintails flailed in the air as she moved. Cordelia's eyes caught the glimpse of something shiny on her sister's wrist as she waved her hand.

Cordelia turned away from the woman panting beside her.

"The silent treatment? You're adorable." Severa cooed, hugging Cordelia from behind.

Cordelia turned her head and gave Severa a look. She reached for her harp and started playing. The melody made both pegasi to raise their head and looked at the women for a brief moment.

"Look, I'm sorry okay? It's been so long since I've seen Robin, scratch that, I don't even know he was alive these past fifteen years, cut me some slack will you?"

Cordelia was rocking her head gently with the tune of her harp.

"Come on Cordy. I'll do your chores and buy you dessert for a month." Severa pleaded, putting her hand on Cordelia's shoulder.

The redhead stopped playing. She sighed and turned her head to the right to face the black-haired woman, when she felt something poked her cheek.

"Really? What are you, twelve?"

"Come on. I said I'm sorry." Severa hugged her sister and rubbed her cheek against Cordelia's. "My offer still stands you know…"

Cordelia let out another sigh. "I want one for each meal, everyday." She said.

It was Severa's turn to shoot Cordelia a look.

"What? You can have your meat for breakfast but I can't have my dessert?"

Severa nodded her head. "Right, now that that's done," she put her forehead to the ground in front of Cordelia, "train me, oh great master Cordelia."

Cordelia rolled her eyes at the woman's antics. She stood up and put her items in her pack.

* * *

Severa watched as Cordelia soared through the air on her pegasus, tugging at the rein and kicking the saddle with an artisan's precision, gracefully making a loop in the night sky. Cordelia was always the happiest when flying. She didn't even need to see the big smile decorating the redhead's face to know it. To most, Cordelia might seem to be unapproachable, what with her being the daughter of the late commander, which was the sole reason people thought she was such a great flyer. But Severa knew, like everybody else, she wasn't born with that kind of skills. Cordelia had been training more than anyone she knew, just so she could feel her real mother's presence. Severa watched as the redhead went bursting through a cloud all the way to the other side.  _Should've been you._

Severa snapped out of her thoughts when she thought Cordelia waved at her. She squint her eyes, and sure enough, her sister was waving at her. The black-haired woman took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling the thin air. She repeated the action a few times and firmly gripped the leather strip resting in her hands. "Alright Sev, you can do this. Just follow Cordy."

Severa soared through the sky following the same 'route' Cordelia used.

* * *

The day before the celebration reached its peak was dedicated to Ylisse finest, the men and women that actually made it possible for the forming of the country, the soldiers. Lissa made it her personal job to drag Robin and watched the upcoming parade. They were on the top of a fairly tall tower in the town, which granted them view of the whole march. Robin watched as the mounted ground troops led by Frederick galloped through the main road, followed by Sully and another male cavalier wearing the same armor as hers, albeit green in color. They waved to the cheering crowd, with some more mounted units behind them. The horses' steady gallops were complimented by the clanks of metals from the armored infantries, the knights, marching behind them. Then the ordinary soldiers and the rangers, both offensive and defensive, followed suit. For a pacifist country, they certainly have quite the force, Robin thought as he observed.

"Mister Robin, look. It's Commander Phila." Ricken, a young mage he met at the castle, whom Lissa also dragged with them, pointed his finger at the sky.

Led by Phila, the Exalt's personal guards, the pegasus knights finally took to the sky.

Phila glided through the air, making perfect arcs and loops on the blue 'canvas', winning her applauses and cheers from the spectators on the ground.

"Wow! Did you see that Robin?" Lissa was ecstatic, pointing at the sky and shaking both Robin and Ricken at Phila's performance. Where she kept that energy inside the small body of hers, Robin wondered.

"Yes Lissa, I'm still watching." Robin answered.

He was watching, but not at the commander or the so-called senior knights following after the blonde. His eyes were hunting for a certain black-haired, twin-tailed pegasus knight with deep green eyes.

He spotted Severa alongside two more pegasus knights took to the sky after Phila's group. The three riders followed their predecessors, but didn't stop at the end of their routine. The three women threw something at the air, which exploded into three distinct, golden lights. Being the one that oversaw the actions for his order, Robin knew exactly what was going to happen. He smiled as the women, along with their pegasi, shot through the lights.

Severa came out with the same black outfit she wore earlier, but now decorated with intricate light grey trimmings around the edges. Her steed was covered with a black set of armor. Severa shot three fireballs to the air while her two partners waved their staves, sending burst of healing magic directly below them. The crowd cheered as Robin felt the healers' zeal seeped through to his bones. Severa and the newly promoted falcon knights waved to the people and joined Phila at the other side.

Lastly, it was the so-called 'ordinary' pegasus knights' turn. Robin recognized the red-haired woman leading this group of flyers through the arcs and loops set by their commander. His eyes never broke free from Cordelia as she and her team took the center stage.  _She's good._

Robin spent the rest of his day with the princess and his new friend.


	6. Sins of the Father

The last day of the celebration was the grandest, but it was also the least exciting for Robin. There were fireworks, a ball at the castle, obligatory speeches from the 'important' people of the halidom, more fireworks… basically any celebration in any other country. Robin was sitting at the small staircase fronting the center garden in the castle, away from the ball, when Chrom came and offered him a drink.

"Thanks, but I'm afraid I have to decline."

"Huh, that's unexpected. You don't seem the type to refuse a drink." Chrom said, taking a sip from his glass.

"Oh, I do drink, but not now. Maybe later. Much, much later."

"More for me then." Robin chuckled at the prince response as Chrom took his spot beside the Plegian.

"So, have you thought about my offer?"

"You're awfully impatient. Day's not over yet, you know."

"It will soon. Plus, I don't think I'll be able to stand up straight to hear your answer tomorrow, what with Vaike keep challenging me to chug with him every chance he got. And if you decided not to stay, I'd like to say a proper goodbye to friend rather than letting him disappear like a total stranger."

"Just so you know, hiring a tactician won't guarantee you a winning streak, or a bloodless fight. In fact, a tactician might just made it longer and increase the body count, which I'm sure not what the Exalt wants."

"That's… fine. Emm's a great leader, but she's just too kind. She always tries to see the good in people, even in someone like Gangrel. I don't need to be a tactician to know the hostilities won't end until we cut him down."

"Now  _that_  is unexpected. Don't tell me you much prefer your father's line of thinking rather than Emmeryn's?"

"No! Gods no. It's just… if the time was different, then maybe, just maybe, people would see this world from her eyes. Maybe if Gangrel's gone…"

"Ah, so by killing Gangrel, you think you'll be able to gift her that time, is that it?"

"If that's the only way, then yes. I won't hesitate to kill him. Emm would hate me for it, but it's for the greater good. I mean, even Plegia's suffering under him. Ridding this world of the Mad King would grant both countries a second chance. A chance to start over."

Robin sighed at hearing the prince's thoughts.

"You know what I really hate about you Ylisseans?"

Chrom's eyes widened at Robin's sudden question.

"You're too stuck up with your so-called Divine Dragon, you can only see this world in black and white. Let me tell you something Chrom, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, or have you forgotten the reason your father entered Plegia in the first place? From where I'm standing, you're exactly like your father."

"What? But I just-I-"

Robin stood from his spot. "I'll be retiring to my room now. Don't worry. I have the decency to at least say a proper goodbye to my host. Come and see me if you still want to hire me when you sobered up."

* * *

A few days had passed since the celebration ended. Ylisstol was slowly getting back to her usual state, with the people went about their daily lives, where farmers would go and work their fields, hunters would leave at dawn to the nearby woods, and shopkeepers would open their shops early in the morning and close at dusk.

Emmeryn was also one of those people going back to her duty. She was alone in her office, reading a letter, one of the many piled on her desk. She went through the paper from top to bottom a few times. She reached for the quill dipped on the inkwell on the table and started to write something on a different piece of paper. Done, she folded both papers together and placed them in a pile of similarly folded papers on the left side of the table. She shifted her sight to the other pile of letters and parchments to her right, and sighed. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and stretched her arms lightly. Maybe time for some rest, she said to herself, when she heard a knock at the door.

"Emm? You there?" Chrom's voice echoed from the other side.

"Yes, Chrom. Come right in."

Chrom opened the door and entered the room. He went to sit on the chair in front of the Exalt's table.

"Is something the matter Chrom?" Emmeryn asked her brother who had been silent for a few moments now.

"Nothing. It's just… I talk to Robin the other day…"

Emmeryn tilted her head at Chrom's unusual behavior.

"Tell me about father." Chrom said.

"Wh-"

"Emm, you've been avoiding me every time I asked. I get it, people hated him for invading Plegia and starting a war. But I need to know why, why did he went so far as starting one." Chrom looked straight at his sister's deep, green eyes.

"If you insist, I think it's about time you know. But why the sudden interest?"

"Well, I talked to Robin the other night, and…" Chrom told her about the conversation he had with the Plegian the last night of the celebration.

"I see. So I take it that's what been bothering you these past few days then." Emmeryn closed her eyes for a moment, as if trying to remember a distant memory.  _Road to hell is paved with good intentions huh?_

She let out a sigh and opened her eyes. "How much do you know about the Grimleals Chrom?" She asked.

Chrom furrowed his brows at the question. "Not much. I know that for some reason, they worship Grima…"

"That is true, but most importantly, you need to know that they're one of the most influential factions in Plegia. Which means, when their leaders talk, people listen, whether they like it or not."

"O… kay. What's that got anything to do with father?"

"I think it's around eighteen, maybe twenty years ago, a Plegian came seeking asylum in Ylisse." Emmeryn started her story. "And father granted it."

"What? Somehow I found that hard to believe. Knowing father, wouldn't he just kill him right when he stepped a foot in to the border?"

The Exalt smiled at her brother's assumption. "Oh no, he wasn't always despised the Plegians. Plus, the man claimed he was a high priest in the Grimleal. And when a man like that came asking for your help, you at least listen to what he had to say."

"And? What did he had to say?"

"Apparently, the Grimleal wasn't just worshipping Grima. They were studying him as well. And their ultimate goal from their inception was to resurrect him."

"What? That's absurd!" Chrom practically shouted at Emmeryn's revelation.

"Of course, father didn't believe him. Not initially at least. But he granted him asylum anyway. You don't get that many Plegians this far into the country, not to mention one that claimed to be a member of the Grimleal, so father let him stay, and took the chance to learn more about Plegia."

"They'd spent hours upon hours in his study every day, just comparing the writings we had about Plegia with what the man brought with him. Father even learnt some Old Plegian from him."

Emmeryn stopped for a moment. Her face went dark as she was about to continue her story.

"But overtime, father seemed to be more obsessed about Plegia, the Grimleals in particular. That was all he'd talk about those days. He even conducted his own research alone sometimes. And for some reason fifteen years ago, he was convinced the Grimleals were really trying to resurrect the Fell Dragon, and that they'd destroy the world with his power. So he invaded Plegia before the Grimleals could do something about their goal."

"And the Plegian priest?" The prince asked.

The blonde shook her head a few times. "He was gone a few months after father started his campaign. And nobody even saw him after that."

"Wow. That's… a lot to take in an afternoon." Chrom slouched further down his seat. He put the back of his hand to his forehead. "Guess Robin's right then." He added. "What do you think I should do then, Emm?"

The blonde raised her eyebrows at hearing Chrom's question. "That's a first." She said. "You know, you asking me what to do."

"Everybody knows Gangrel's doing more harm than good, not even you can deny that. But after hearing all that, what should I do? I mean, I don't know what's going to happen. It's not like I can predict the future or something."

"You're right. Unless you've seen one, nobody can really say what will happen tomorrow, much less five or ten years in the future. You just have to live with your choice. As I did from the day I took the throne, as father did when when he chose to save that priest."

"But… I'm his son. What if what happened to him happened to me as well?"

"Chrom," Emmeryn said softly, "we're all his children. You, me, and Lissa all have the potential to be like him. The only thing we can do is to trust the ones around us to stop us if that happens." The blonde smiled to her brother and stood up from her chair.

Emmeryn went to a small metal door inside the room, embedded in one of the walls and unlocked it. She looked inside and moved her hands in front of her, as if searching for something. She turned back to face her brother when she finally found what she was looking for.

"Here, I want you to have this." She gestured the thing in her hands, a sword, to the blunette.

Chrom looked at the inticately designed sword. He looked at the golden hilt, and shifted his sight to the blade and the sword's most prominent feature, the long opening at the its center, running along for most of its length.

"You're giving me the Falchion? Emm, I can't take this. It's Ylisse's greatest treasure, along with the Fire Emblem." Chrom said.

"Yes, I know. It is one of Ylisse's regalia, but before that, it's a sword. And it should be treated as one."

"But Emm…"

"Father used it for most of his campaign in Plegia years ago. If you're so scared you'll be like him one day, let this serve as a reminder to you, you are not father. Use it to protect those you care about, rather than to bring destruction to others."

"I… understand." Chrom reached for the sword in his sister's hands. "Thanks Emm."

Emmeryn smiled as she watched Chrom gave the blade a few light swings in the center of the room. "Actually Chrom, there's another reason I gave you the Falchion."

Chrom stopped what he did and rested the blade at his side against his right thigh.

"I want you to go to Regna Ferox and see if we can forge an alliance with them. Under normal circumstances, I am the one that should be going, but as things like they are now, I can't afford to leave Ylisstol right now." She said.

Chrom took a deep breath at hearing the blonde's request.

"You know I'm not good with the diplomacy stuffs Emm," he said, "but if you think I'll be of any use, then I'll try what I can to convince them. And I know exactly who to bring along."

* * *

The sky was starting to tint red from the setting sun. Robin was sitting on top of a small hill just outside of Ylisstol. He could see most of the city from where he was. He observed as some of the stall owners get ready to close their business for the day. A couple of royal guards he presumed, judging from their attire, started to light the oil lamps on the posts at the edge of the main street. He chuckled as he saw some women came out from their house and dragged the few children still playing at the town square.

"Robin!" He looked at the direction of the voice to find a pair of pegasi started their descent at the clearing nearby.

He smiled as Severa came running towards him as soon as they touched the ground. Cordelia was rubbing the neck of her steed, when Severa's decided it wanted some of her affection and sniffed her hair, making the red-haired woman chuckled.

"Back from practice?" He asked the black-haired woman in front of him.

"Uh-huh." Severa answered. "So I heard you'll be accompanying the prince to Ferox the next day."

Robin nodded.

"We received our new order yesterday. We'll be going to the border ourselves." Severa said. "When we come back, you'll be following me and Cordy home, and mom will make our favorites, and it'll just be like old times… plus Cordy." She added, looking at Cordelia. "So don't you dare disappear on me again."

Robin just smiled at her.


	7. Snow

Robin breathed into his palms, heating both his hands. He moved his head left and right a few times to observe his surroundings and his new comrades. They were mostly acting just like him, heating their hands with their breath and rubbing them together. Robin pulled up his hood and rubbed his palms together before crossing them over his chest, hugging his shoulders.

At the request of the Exalt and his new employee, Robin's first job as the Sheperd's tactician was to accompany the blue-headed lord on a diplomacy mission to Ferox. Their journey to the neighboring country was not exactly smooth to say the least. First, they were attacked by the reanimated corpses he met on his first night in Ylisse's soil, which Chrom decided to call the  _risens_  for the very obvious reason. It was not that difficult of a fight, and it gave Robin the chance to gauge the Sheperds' combat ability as a team, so he didn't really mind.

What he really did mind, was the journey itself. Since Regna Ferox and Ylisse were separated by a mountain range along their border, they had to do an actual hiking to get to the other side, which was not an easy task for a rag-tag militia used to marching and fighting on flat plains and open field. Not to mention, because of the height difference, Regna Ferox was prone to snow.

Five days had passed since they left Ylisstol, and there was snow everywhere Robin set his sight on. From those piled on the trees and fell on them whenever they walked under them, to the blanket of silvery white powder covering the ground, snow was everywhere. Robin blew the small pile that dropped from the trees and landed on his nose.

Robin hated the snow. He hated the fact that the temperature would always go down when snow was anywhere near him. Extreme cold was one of the things he tried to avoid as much as he could, as it would dull one's senses, which was never a good thing, especially in a war. The brunette tightened the grips on his shoulders, desperately trying to prevent his body heat from escaping. He also hated the snow that would stick to the sole of his boots with each step he took, increasing the weight of his shoes, getting denser and denser by the seconds, making it felt like he was treading on solid ice.

"Hey, Robin." Lissa's voice echoed from behind.

Robin turned his head to find the owner of the voice, when his right foot stepped over a mid-sized rock hiding under the thick blanket of grey (another thing he hated about the snow) and threw him off balance.

The Plegian fell backwards onto the ground. Luckily (or unluckily) for him, the snow was quite thick so the impact of the fall on the back of his head was practically non-existent, but he did sink a good foot from the surface, and now the thing was covering his face. So yes, to put it simply, Robin hated the snow.

"Ugh, that can't be good." Lissa's voice sounded closer to him. "Are you alright?"

Robin swept the snow off his face to find the blonde princess staring at him. "I'm fine." He answered and pointed his right arm upwards, which the cleric took.

"Sir Robin, if you could stay like that for a few moments." Another voice called for him as he got up.

It was Miriel, one of the Sheperds Chrom decided to bring with them. Robin remembered her as the mage that was late and brought Vaike his axe at their first stop not long after they departed. The woman observed the sole of Robin's boots.

"Hmm, fascinating." She murmured. "It seems like ice had formed under your boots, most likely from the constant walking on the snow."

"What? Miriel, I know we've been walking for quite some time now, but mine's not that bad." Lissa showed the bottom of her foot to the mage.

"Yes, that is what fascinates me. I think the discrepancy is because of the design of the footwear itself." Miriel adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. "Sir Robin, I would be indebted to you if you'd grant me the opportunity to examine your boots when we get to the next town."

Robin raised an eyebrow at the woman's sudden words. He looked to Lissa, giving her a look that demanded an explanation for the sentences he just heard. The blonde just shrugged at the brunette's 'question'.

"Sure… can I get up now?"

"Yes, of course. Here, let me melt the ice for you first." Miriel pointed her finger at Robin's soles and shot a few small fireballs at them.

"You can use magic without a tome?"

"Hm? Oh yes. Every mage can actually. We just use the tomes to better focus and amplify our magic for something that demands more, a fight, for example. I believe it is no different than you fighters are able to fight barehanded, but choose to wield a weapon in more demanding situations?"

Robin just nodded his head.

"Hey guys. What's keeping you three?" A voice from behind them startled the trio.

They turned their heads to the direction to see Sully along with two other riders, one wearing the same armor as hers, which Robin recognized as the 'green' cavalier from the parade when Lissa introduced them. The other one was a pegasus knight that Robin swore had the ability to trip on anything, even the thin air.  _At least she got a mount now._

"Oh, it's nothing. Robin just tripped." Lissa decided to answer the question.

"I see. Good thing the snow's fairly thick then." Stahl, the green cavalier said. "By the way, do yo know when we'll be stopping for lunch? I'm starving."

Lissa only managed a shrug at the man's question.

"That's fine. I'll go on ahead and ask Captain Frederick then. We need to report to him anyway."

"Aight." Sully said. "Guess this is it then. Don't worry Sumia, can't say much 'bout the other two, but Robin's pretty you should be fine now." Sully said to the woman on the pegasus, ignoring the loud "Hey!" from Lissa. She followed her viridian counterpart to the front of the convoy, where Chrom and Frederick should be.

"Yes, of course. Thank you. Both of you." Sumia waved to the knights moving away from them.

"So, she's alright now?" Lissa asked the flier and rubbed the neck of her pegasus.

"It's a he actually. And yes, he wasn't that badly hurt. Just shocked. He should be fine." Sumia smiled to the princess.

Robin looked at the newest addition to their little group. They had found an injured pegasus a while back, and Sumia, being the pegasus knight-without-the pegasus offered to look after the animal. She insisted for them to continue their march without her, which Chrom reluctantly agreed. So Robin, being the tactician, asked the two cavaliers to stay with her until they can regroup.

"Okay, guess everyone's here then." Robin finally broke his silence. "We should get going now. Can't let Stahl hog all the food in case they decided to take a break." He started walking towards their destination. Lissa and Miriel followed him, with Sumia and her pegasus in the far back.

* * *

"Wow! What's that? It's huge!" Lissa exclaimed, eyes all wide looking at the structure standing before them.

"That, princess, is the Gate of Ferox." Robin turned to face his comrades. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are now standing at Ferox's front door."

"Uuh, Robin." Chrom called for his friend. "That's good and all, but how do we get in?"

Robin turned again to face the young lord, and shrugged. "I don't know. It's the first time I enter Ferox through here. Try knocking, maybe?" He joked.

Chrom started to walk to the massive metal door at the center of the building, when a voice echoed from atop.

"Halt! Who goes there?" The Sheperds raised their heads to find a heavily armored woman was observing them from above.

"Peace, friend." Chrom said. "My name is Chrom of Ylisse. We came here looking to forge an alliance with Ferox. I would be grateful if you would grant us an audience with your leader."

"Hmmph. Do you take me for a fool? First of all, shouldn't your Exalt be the one here if that is your desire. And, even if she did sent you here, why would the Crown Prince of Ylisse be treading the mountain range and snow without the royal guards. For all I know, you're probably just some bandits trying to sneak their way into Ferox."

Chrom was about to open his mouth when Robin touched his shoulder.

"It's no use Chrom. Feroxians prefer to trade blows than words." The Plegian took a step in front of the blue-headed Ylissean. "Especially this one." He added.

"It's been a while isn't it Raimi?" Robin shouted to the woman and lowered his hood. "How've you been?"

Raimi's eyes widened at the sight of the brunette. She let out a smirk at the Sheperds. "So the prodigal son returns. I thought you're already rotting in the gutter somewhere by now."

Robin shot her the best smile he could conjure. "You can't still be mad at us are you? It's been ten years now."

"You two ditched me! And where is Alphonse. I swear, if I see him again I'll-"

"Heh. Then I'm sorry to inform you that it's just dear old me today. Al's in Valm, realizing his dream right about now."

Chrom furrowed his brows at the scene playing before him.

"You know her?"

Robin just maintained his smile. "I grew up here… kinda." He answered. "Raimi, I know you want to skewer my guts right now, but let's put that aside can we? I assure you, he is Prince Chrom of Ylisse. And we are here to forge an alliance with Ferox, at the request of the Exalt."

"Hmph, then I need a proof of that." Raimi shifted her gaze from Robin to Chrom. "I heard the Crown Prince was quite a capable fighter. Defeat me and my soldiers, and you shall have your audience with the Khan. Ready?" She raised her hand and dropped it as abrupt as it went up.

Arrows came flying from behind the woman, headed straight for Chrom and Robin.

"Wha-?" Chrom froze in his spot at the sudden development.

"Captain Chrom!"

Robin was about to push Chrom out of the way when he heard Sumia's shout from behind them. A white blur pushed him to the side and 'scooped' the prince from where he was standing.  _Again?_

Robin lay in the snow as he watched the pegasus carrying Chrom and Sumia soared to the sky, not paying attention to the arrows coming right at him.

"Robin!"

Lissa's voice brought him back to his current predicament. He tried pushing the ground to get out of the target area but the snow gave in instead.

His arm was locked in place.

"Sh-"

The Plegian raised his shield to block the incoming attacks when a steel mountain stood over him and deflected the arrows with ease.

"Are you alright Robin?" The heavily armored man turned around helped the brunette out of the snow.

Robin furrowed his eyebrows at the man. "Uh… thanks. Kellam, right?" He said as both men retreated to where their comrades waited, just in time for the arrows to start flying again.

"Wow that was close. Good thing you were there Kellam. Wait, when did you get here again?" Lissa asked as she focused her healing magic at Robin.

"Lissa, I was marching with you guys from the start…" Robin would be able to tell the frustration in Kellam's voice, if they weren't in a pressing situation.

"Alright you two, no time for chit-chat. We'll have plenty of that after we finished. He said, when a pegasus landed near them.

* * *

The group were now surrounding a simple map that Robin drew on the ground, with inputs from Chrom and Sumia.

"Three archers, five knights…" The tactician murmured.

"Robin?"

"Hm?" He looked at Chrom.

"I know this isn't the time, but is it possible to win this one without killing them? Or at least with minimal casualties."

"Huh, didn't expect you'd say that."

"I… had a talk with Emm the other day. And we are on a diplomatic mission. I don't want my first words for their leaders to be 'Sorry we killed your men' when we're seeking an alliance.

Robin stared at the young lord for a few moments.

"Good call." He said. "Right, so here's what we're gonna do."

"First of all, leave the horses. They won't do us any good on the narrow corridors."

Frederick, Sully, and Stahl nodded at the instruction.

"We'll break through these two entrances." Robin pointed to the small doors at both sides of the main entrance. "Soon as we open those, they'll come right at us. Frederick, I want you to take point at the right door. Don't let anyone of them pass through. Vaike, take care of the archer nearest to you. The two knights should come for you, so Miriel, keep them off of his back. Take 'em down if you can. Lissa, you go with them just in case."

The named four nodded at hearing the plan.

"Kellam, Sully, Stahl, and I will take the other door. We'll rush in at the same time, so wait for us to get in position first. Same thing for this side as well. Kellam'll guard the door, me and Sully take care of the other archers. And Stahl will back us up with the knights. You guys got any vulneraries?"

The three soldiers nodded at Robin's question.

"What about us?" Chrom pointed at Sumia and himself.

"I want you two to stay here until we take care of the archers. Fly over and go straight for Raimi when I give the signal."

The lord and the pegasus knight also nodded at Robin's words.

"Anything else?" Robin asked. "Good. And remember, don't kill them."

* * *

Robin and Frederick's teams were standing by near targets, while Chrom and Sumia waited at the far back along with the horses.

Robin and Frederick shared a look and nodded at each other.

"Go!"

Two loud bangs followed Robin's shout as both Frederick and Kellam kicked their targets. Barrage of arrows flew to both the knights as soon as the doors sprung open.

Kellam raised his tower shield in front of him and blocked the arrows from reaching his comrades. He pushed ahead slowly until he entered the building. Just as Robin predicted, the two armored knights guarding this side moved towards them. Robin, followed by Sully, snuck from behind Kellam to the side, where the threes archers gathered.

Robin raised his shield. He blocked and parried the arrows coming towards him and Sully. He kicked the snow piling on the ground and sent a white powdery ball towards the first archer.

It hit him square in the face, and he stopped his attack. He shook his head a few times, trying to get rid of the snow from his face.

Robin caught the glimpse of a red blur at the corner of his eyes as he rushed towards the second archer.

The mercenary raised his shield at shoulder's high as he closed in. He lunged at his target with the slab of steel in front. Robin smashed his kite shield at the man's chest. The archer gasped. Robin balled his right hand and shifted all his weight to his left foot. He pivoted his body and put all his might on his right fist. He punched the man right in the jaw. The man went limp and fell, like a puppet when you cut its string.

Beside him, Sully and Vaike were also done with their targets.

"Chrom!" He shouted.

A pegasus came flying from behind him. It went straight for Raimi.

The tactician sent both Sully and Vaike back to help their teams with the remaining knights.

* * *

Robin watched as Sumia directed the winged horse towards Raimi. It kicked the armored knight with its front hooves. Raimi blocked the attack with her tower shield, sending the pegasus airborne once again.

Chrom readied the Falchion and jumped down. He unleashed a downward slash with his descent. Raimi took a step back and dodged the prince's attack. She thrusted her lance forward just as the blunette reached the ground. Raimi's lance was inches from Chrom's chest when Sumia parried it with her lance. The lord sidestepped the armored knight to her back. He shot Sumia a look as he moved. Sumia rammed her pegasus at their enemy. Raimi raised her shield to block the incoming beast, not knowing that Chrom had put his leg behind her foot. She fell backwards onto the snow. Chrom then pointed his blade at the woman's neck and sealed the Sheperds victory.

Robin smiled at the outcome. He looked around to make sure the fighting stopped with Raimi's lost. He then made his way towards his captain.

"There's your proof." Robin said as he approached the trio. "Now, about that audience with Flavia…" He smiled at the woman lying on her back in the snow.

Raimi puffed her bangs out of her face and raised her right hand. Robin took it and pulled the woman up.

"Follow me then." The Feroxian said, grabbing her equipments. "And bring those guys inside will you?" She gestured at her unconscious comrades to the Sheperds.

* * *

Raimi brought the Ylisseans to an empty barrack just behind the gate. It would take them another full day of marching to get to the capitol of Regna Ferox. The Sheperds were to use the rooms as they please for the night.

Robin was alone in his room, looking outside the window. Snow started to fall just as he was done settling in, which made him glad Raimi decided to postpone the march until the next day. Robin watched as the new, white snow piled onto the grayed one on the ground. Needless to say, he did not look forward to the upcoming walk. Robin continued looking at the small clumps of fresh snow reaching the ground. Their steady 'flow' as they piled onto one another and gradually painted the ground white somehow relaxed him, which was strange, all things considered. Robin sighed. He hated the snow. It reminded him to the time when he lost his family for the second time in his life. It reminded him of his greatest failure as a tactician.


	8. Allies

The journey to the city was uneventful to say the least. Raimi was not much of a talker, and Robin was reluctant to spill what he knew of the country they were visiting, no matter how much Lissa bothered them. The blonde princess puffed her cheeks and walked silently after Chrom practically begged her to stop bothering the two. Of course, this being Lissa, her pout (and silence) did not last very long. She forgot about sulking as soon as they entered a village around noon, much to Chrom's chagrin and Sully's amusement.

Lissa's eyes went wild at the sight of the houses. She always knew things were different in Ferox from reading the books and writings in the royal archive (which she hated) and the stories Maribelle told her (which she loved), but seeing with her own eyes was another thing. All the buildings were like boxes, and the roofs were flat with raised edges. And there was some kind of small, chimney looking things at each point. Lissa furrowed her eyebrows while she walked… and stopped after five steps. She tugged at the back of Robin's cloak and beamed him a smile, eyes all wide and glittery.

Robin only needed a look at the cleric before he let out a sigh. He motioned for the rest of the convoy to keep moving. He pointed to the chimneys.

"Look closely."

Lissa squinted her eyes and focused on one of the strange structures. Smoke pooled out of the opening.

"Oh, so those are chimneys then."

"Not quite," Robin said. "The embers are actually beneath the roof. They use it to warm the house and melt the snow on top. There's actually a channel from the roof into the house, so you get fresh water without even the need to step outside."

"That's… actually make sense… I guess." Lissa looked around at her surroundings and noticed the lack of a well in the village.  _There's no way Maribelle could know about those. Can't wait to get home._

"I don't know about you Lissa, but I wanna get out of this snow as fast as I can. Will that be all?" Lissa could sense the annoyance in the tactician's voice, but she chose to ignore it.

"What? No! I still got a lot of stuffs to ask."

"Then you need to find another Robin to answer those questions, cause I'm outta here." Lissa puffed her cheeks again as she watched Robin walked away from her.

"Hey, wait up! What's with all the dummies in front of the houses? And where is everybody? Robin…"

* * *

Ylisstol castle was big, but Ferox's was massive. People bustled in and out of the round structure, carrying with them swords and axes and spears and things Lissa didn't even know existed. There were tents and stalls and even carriages set up outside, with people yelling and drinking and dancing fighting it felt like Ylisse's celebration all over again, only louder.  _Much, much louder._  There were even a few of those Anna sisters present but Lissa couldn't tell if they were the ones from back home or somewhere else. She was about to break away from the group when she felt a tug at her sleeve. The blonde turned her head.

It was Robin.

"This way," Raimi said, didn't even bother to stop. She headed towards one of the small entrances at the side (if a round structure could have sides) of the building. The Sheperds followed suit with Robin dragging Lissa with him. She pouted and stomped her way into the castle.

* * *

The Ylisseans waited in a massive hall decorated with all kinds of weaponry hanging on the wall. Four soldiers stood still at the main entrance, two on each side. The door sprung open and Raimi entered, followed by a blonde woman donning a hero outfit.

Chrom could tell from the way she walked, and at how the soldiers twitched when she entered that this was not a woman to be trifled with. Each one of her step was heavy and powerful, not to mention her tanned skin coupled with the large axe on her back really hammered her warrior persona.

Raimi stopped directly in front of the blunette and gestured towards the blonde beside her.

"Lord Chrom, this is Khan Flavia, the one that reigned the eastern region of Ferox."

"Of course. It is an honor to finally meet you, Khan Fla-"

"So you're the princeling that bested my men at the border?" Flavia just stared at the young lord.

"Well… yes. My apologies for that. And I also would like to thank you on behalf of Exalt Emmeryn for even agreeing to meet with us after the fact."

Chrom could feel Flavia's glare piercing his heart.

"Hah! You can drop the act princeling." Flavia laughed.

"What? But… I don't understand. Weren't you mad at us?"

"I'm just toying with ya. I know my flock when I see one. You're not much for formalities, and lucky for you, neither am I. So you bested my men. Big deal. Means they need to train harder." The East Khan looked at Raimi and smiled. She approached the table at the center of the room and ppour herself a drink. "Now, what do the noble Ylisseans want with us Feroxians. I know it can't be a good thing if he's involved." She pointed at Robin and took a sip from her mug.

Chrom turned around to see his friend rested his back against the wall, smiling. The blunette jaw went agape as he furrowed his eyebrows. Even the East Khan knows him! One of these days I need to sit with Lissa and hear his stories, he thought. Chrom turned again to face the blonde woman.

The young lord took a few deep breaths and started talking. "We're here on the behalf of the Exalt to ask for an alliance with you."

"An interesting proposal. But why should we?"

All the Ylisseans in the room went slack-jawed at Flavia's comeback.

"Even now, without any special decree, Ferox and Ylisse're already on a good terms. We open our door for your resources, and you get your hands on our products, the finest swords and armors and tools you can get this side of the ocean. I'd say that's a fair trade already, so I don't see the need to officially be an ally to be a good neighbor."

"I… we…"

"If I may." Chrom turned to face his tactician at the sound of Robin's voice. Flavia gulped another mouthful of the drink and gestured for the Plegian to speak.

"Right. Surely you know about the situation between Plegia and Ylisse?"

"Of course. But why should we care? That's between you and them. Just so you know, Ferox is quite happy being a bystander… for now."

"Oh sure, it's still Ylisse's problem now. But we both know there's no way they'll just stop with the Halidom. Wouldn't it be better to help a friend rid of the problem now, rather than deal with a bigger mess later? And of course, we're not proposing this as is. There are perks for allying with us you know."

Flavia smiled as she heard the words coming out from Robin's mouth.

"Such as?"

"Well, for starters, what does joint forces on the borders sound? As I recalled, you do have quite the bandit problem. "Robin shifted his gaze towards Raimi.

"Ferox got more than enough warriors to deal with mere bandits."

"That maybe true, but you surely don't have the  _means_ to transport them over wide area in short time, which we have." Robin approached Flavia and leaned in front of her. "Think about it, the only real flying corps in the continent, ready to be sent anywhere at a command, within reason of course."

Chrom listened as Robin's voice went softer and softer with each word. He himself had to lean in the direction of the two, focusing all his attention just to be able to listen on the Plegian's proposal. He shifted his sight at the blonde woman. For some reason, it became hard for him to breath, and sweat drenched his palms. He took a few deep breaths, trying to relax himself.  _Special trades, joint military force, the pegasus knights, not to mention the tactician of the famed Silver Sanctum. Surely that should be enough for her… right?"_

Flavia finished her drink and smashed the tankard on the table.

"I knew I should've let Raimi impaled you when she had the chance."

Robin's smile never left his face.

"T-then…" A smile started creeping on Chrom's face.

"Unfortunately, that is not my decision to make."

"What? But you are The Khan, leader of Regna Ferox, are you not?"

"I'm  _one_  of the leaders of Ferox, yes. We are actually in the process of choosing the real leader now, or have you not notice the amount of tension in the air?" Flavia waved her hand mockingly.

"What? You guys aren't celebrating something?" Lissa had been awfully quiet for the duration of the meeting.

"It's a little bit of both actually," Robin answered. "Every few years, the East and West Ferox compete in a tournament to decide which Khan will get the ruling power, and we happened to come at a very crucial time for them. Talk about coincidence huh Chrom?"

"Hah, that's rich coming from you!" Flavia slapped her hands together. "Believe me princeling, Gangrel giving up on the war and becoming a priest is more believable than him saying this is all a coincidence."

"Coincidence or not, I still think an alliance would be good for both countries," Chrom said. "So, will we be going home empty-handed then?"

"Hard to tell. The oaf seemed to have gotten himself a new face this year. Cept for the usual bandits and whatnot, Feroxians don't have much experience fighting outsiders, so it'll be a tight win. Unless you want to go and even the odds for us…"

Flavia blinked a few times after she finished her sentence.

Frederick and Raimi both looked at their leaders with a confused look decorating their faces.

Lissa shifted her sight from her brother, to Flavia, to Robin.

Miriel pushed her glasses back to its place, while Vaike stopped eating and paid attention for once.

Sully, Stahl and Sumia looked at each other.

Robin just smiled throughout the entire scene.

"Now that's an idea." Flavia looked at Robin before shifting her sight to the young lord. "What do you say princeling? Win me this tournament, and you'll get your alliance."

"What? But I'm not a Feroxian!"

"Didn't you hear what I just said? Basilio's hiring an outsider as well. Anything goes now."

Chrom looked around at his comrades and returned to face the East Khan. "Do I have your words? If we won you this tournament, you'll grant us an alliance?"

Flavia just nodded, smiling at the young lord.

"Then we shall win. You have my words."

* * *

Chrom swung the sword in his right hand a few times. It was lighter than he was used to, but it should be fine. A week had passed since he agreed to the Khan's proposal. The only thing he remembered from that day was his training with Frederick and Vaike. For some reason, Robin never offered to spar with him, preferring to do it with Kellam instead, according to the tactician that is. And now, the time had come for them to settle their end of the bargain.

The five of them were standing in Arena Ferox, training weapons in hands, staring at their opponents on the other side. Chrom closed his eyes, isolating the cheers and chants of  _East! West! East! West!_ from his mind. He opened his eyes and focused his sight on one of the opponents. The outsider the West Khan hired. The other blue-head he met on that night a few weeks ago.  _Marth._

"Robin," Chrom said, "I wanna fight him."

"Oooh, we get to choose? Then Teach wants the other swordsman."

"Erm… Vaike," Robin said, "I don't know how to break this to you, but I think it's better if anyone  _other_ than you gets him. He looks to be quite fast, so-"

"Please! As if speed can do anything to Teach. Look at 'im. That puny blade won't even break my skin. I'll be fine. You guys take care of the others."

"Suits yourself. Right, Chrom, when this thing starts, you go straight for our friend there. The rest of 'em will go after you, so Vaike, make sure your boy doesn't reach him. We'll take care of the other axes. Any objection? No? Good."

The crowds cheered when Flavia and the West Khan finished their very brief speeches. Chrom swallowed the lumps forming in his throat. He swung the sword some more, checking its balance and weight.  _Yup, still light…_  He jerked his arms and legs a few times, loosening the tensions in the joints and muscles.

The deafening roar of a gong pierced his eardrums.

Chrom rushed towards the other blue-headed swordsman at the starting sound. Just as Robin predicted, the other swordsman, and an axe-wielder lunged at him. Chrom stayed his sword across his chest, when a lump of flesh and a blue armor appeared on his sides. Vaike and Frederick blocked the attacks from the Feroxians, securing a route for Chrom to his target.

Chrom opened his attack with a light thrust forward, which Marth dodged with a backstep. Chrom anchored his right foot and brought his left side forward, clenching his sword with both hands. Marth dodged his attack again, this time with a side step to his right.

Chrom smiled at his opponent's move. He chained his forward thrust with a wide side-slash, aiming it at Marth's gut. The masked man raised his sword and parried the slash. Chrom was wide open.

Marth lunged forward with his sword, aiming for Chrom's chest. The Ylissean took a backstep and dodged the attack. Marth followed with a two-handed thrust, which Chrom dodged with a step to the left. Chrom clicked his tongue when the other blunette chained a wide slash from the thrust.

Chrom parried the attack and took two steps backwards.  _Tch, he's toying with me._

The young lord raised his left arm at shoulder's height and rested his blade on his forearm. Marth did the same and both men lunged at each other at the same time.

_Slash. Block. Parry. Slash. Block. Parry._ Chrom and Marth were, for a lack of better word, in unison, taking turns attacking and blocking each blow, trying to gain the upper hand on the other, when Chrom noticed the bluish glitter enveloping the mysterious man.

Marth decided to change his attack with a wide slash, which sent the Ylissean prince a few steps backwards. He clenched his sword with both hands and went straight to the lord's neck.

Chrom was about to dodge when he felt his feet weaken and his body rigid.  _What?_

He raised his sword in front of his throat, clenched his fist and gritted his teeth for the incoming attack.

Everything went blur for Chrom when the two swords connected. The next thing he knew, the upper half of his blade was sticking in the ground a good ten feet from him and Marth's under his chin. Cold sweat drenched his brows and he could swear his heart was about to burst out of his ribcage.

"I… surrender." Chrom sighed dropped the broken sword in his hand.

Marth smiled and lowered his.

"You're good. Where'd you learn to fight like that?" Chrom said.

"My father," Marth answered, short. He gestured his right hand towards the prince.

The men shook hands when a whistling sound startled them. Chrom turned around and found Robin sitting on the ground, hugging his knees. Frederick stood as stoic as ever on his right, and a tower shield was standing on its own on his left. Further back, Vaike and the other swordsman panted heavily alongside three unconscious Feroxians.

"Three wins, one lost, one draw. I believe we have won ourselves an ally." Robin's grin sent a smile on Chrom's face.

Deafening roars of gong, followed by the cheers from the crowd burst their eardrums once again, signaling the end of the tournament, and the completion of their mission.


	9. Tactician part I

The Sheperds marched back to Ylisstol with good news for the Exalt. Their mission was a success. Ferox and Ylisse now officially allies, and the West Khan was generous enough to send one of his men to join them. The other swordsman Vaike faced in the tournament, Lon'qu, was another peculiar addition in the Sheperds growing rank of misfits.

According to Khan Basilio, he had a condition that prevented him from talking normally to one of the opposite gender, which made their journey home very interesting to say the least. Lissa never stopped pestering the Feroxian, and Miriel, being well… Miriel, had to observed the banter between the cleric and the swordsman just to see what would happen. And Vaike apparently had a man-crush on him, what with the fighter tried to recruit the swordsman to be his right hand man ever since the tournament ended. Robin let out a sigh of relief when the Gates of Yllistol entered his sight.

* * *

The Plegian, Chrom, and Lissa went straight to see Emmeryn as soon as they arrived, not knowing about the news waiting for them

"What!"

Robin expression never changed at hearing the words from the Exalt, even as Chrom and Lissa screamed in disbelief.

Lissa's best friend, Maribelle, was taken prisoner by Plegia. If that wasn't enough of a shock, the Mad King himself demanded for the Exalt to come and negotiate the troubadour's release.

"Oh no, Maribelle. We gotta do something Chrom. Naga knows what they'll do to her if…" Lissa choked on her words as tears started pooling at the edge of her eyes.

"Lissa…" Emmeryn consoled her sister, pulling the youngest royal into a hug.

"Of course, I'll go and get the Sheperds. We'll head to Themis at once," Chrom said.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that Chrom." Robin went on to block the lord's way.

"What? What're you saying? They'll kill her if we don't go there. Are you saying we should let her die?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying."

"Why you! Who do you think you are? I know you two aren't on the best term, but to just let her die?"

"Calm down." Robin grabbed Chrom's wrist, now tugging at the neck of his cloak, and snapped it away. "Do you think I'm that small to let someone die just because I don't like her? Calm down, and think for a second. Why now? They've been provoking you for so long, but the Mad King only decided to come out now? Why do you think that is?"

"Wha-I-he…"

"They're ready." Robin smiled at the feminine voice answering his question, gathering the sights of everyone in the room towards its owner. Phila might be one of those not too keen on him joining the Sheperds, but she sure saw things from his eyes.

"The war…" Emmryn's soft voice entered Robin's ears. "Sir Robin, you don't think…"

"Unfortunately, yes. Go there, and one way or the other, Gangrel will get his war. That, I can guarantee you. Turn a blind eye  _this once_ , and we can still delay it. Hopefully until I can think of something without further escalation."

"What? That's absurd," Chrom barked. "Letting Maribelle die just to delay the inevitable?"

"Didn't you hear what I just said? Believe me, I'm more than happy to go there with you. But a girl for some time? Time that thousands needed? Time that we don't have right now? It's a steal." Robin glared at the young lord, sending his friend to a mute.

"Sir Robin." Emmeryn's voice broke the pregnant silent in the room after Robin and Chrom's outburst. "While I do understand what you are trying to say, I also cannot sit around idly when one of my subjects is about to lose her life. Not when we still have time to do something about it."

"Emm…"

Robin chuckled at hearing the blonde's words. "Ah, Emmeryn. The just, kind-hearted leader the world deserved, but the one it needed right now." Robin eyed Chrom as he said that, before staring straight to the Exalt. "You hired me to be your tactician, and as such, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you're on the winning side. But get this, don't you  _ever_  speak of a peaceful solution to me again. Not when you're the one choosing this path. Not when you know full well you can't halt a war without spilling some blood."

"I... understand..."

"Chrom, ready the Sheperds. Phila, you should send words to the borders. Tell your knights to keep their eyes open." Robin instructed the Ylisseans. He smirked slightly as Phila huffed her way out of the room.

* * *

Robin stood in front of the table in the strategy room, staring at the map on the desk. He clicked his tongue for the hundred times when Chrom and Frederick entered.

"The Sheperds're almost ready. We can move out in an hour."

"Good. I still need to iron out a few things."

"So, from a tactician's stand point, what're the odds we getting out of this alive?" Robin turned his head to face the blunette now standing at his side, also staring at the map.

"Well, seeing as it'll be quite literally an uphill battle for us, I'm going to say not much. Are you sure this is the most detailed map you can get me?"

"Yes, that map was drawn by the finest cartographer in the Halidom." Frederick's voice reached the tactician's ears from behind.

"Why? What else do you need?" Robin turned his gaze from the knight to the lord once more.

"There's not enough wiggle room for us. If they decide to wait for us on top of those hills, which they will, then we'll just be sitting ducks at the base. Might as well slit our throats here and save the trouble of going there."

"So I'll slit yours and you'll do mine?" Robin chuckled at hearing Chrom's comeback.

"Unless we can find some other ways in and out, I might need to take your offer."

"Milord, might I suggest consulting someone more familiar with the area then? Donnel is also from Themis, he might know something about the area." Robin looked at Frederick before shifting his gaze towards his blue-headed friend.

"He's a farmboy we recruited before we met you. He's still new so I let him train with the soldiers for now."

"I see. Does he really know the place?"

"If memory serves, he did say he used to hunt in that particular area. He should at least know some rat-trails not in the map," Frederick answered.

"Good enough for me. Get him."

"At once."

* * *

From his speech and body language, Donnel, or Donny as Chrom called him, was definitely a farmboy through and through. Guess you can brought the boy away from the farm, but you can never get the farm out of the boy, Robin thought.

"Donny, right? How much do you know about the terrain of Themis?" The tactician motioned for Donnel to approach him and pointed to a patch of land on the map, "specifically this area here."

"Ooo, I kno' lots 'bout that 'rea ser. I've been livin' there ma 'hole life, it's ma backyards."

"Does it have any other routes not in the map?" Robin smiled when Donnel nodded at his question. He handed him a quill in an inkwell and said, "Can you draw them on the map for me? Doesn't have to be pretty, I just need to know where they are."

The farmboy-turned-soldier nodded and picked up the quill.

Donnel was finishing his scribble when a young voice, one Robin hadn't heard for quite some time called for Chrom from the entrance.

"Prince Chrom, I heard you're heading for Themis to save Maribelle. Can I come this time?"

"Ricken, we've been through this. It's too dangerous." Robin chuckled as Chrom told his reasoning for not taking the boy with them. The one he also used when the mage-in-training pleaded to follow them to Ferox.

"I know it's dangerous, but I wanna help. I can fight too. Tell him Mr. Robin."

"While I do agree your magic's impressive, I'm with Chrom on this one. Why don't you and Donny man the fort for us, and we'll get you something from Themis." Robin took the map on the table and made for the entrance with Chrom and Frederick, leaving the mage and the soldier in the room.

* * *

It was almost noon when the Sheperds arrived at their destination. Robin, alongside the three royals and their stalwarts walked steadily through the patch of land. The tactician's eyes went wild, skimming the area for anything, or anyone not accounted for. Steep terrain stood tall on their left side, with only two visible 'road' for going up and down, most likely made by the farmers and the hunters from prolonged use. It was after the harvesting season, and burnt, unused field spread wide on their right.  _If Gangrel doesn't want to talk first, we're dead._

"Well,well,well, look what we have here." A familiar voice invaded his ears as Robin drowned in his thoughts. A voice that twisted his gut into a thousand knots, that cut through his heart like a rusted knife slicing through a three-day-old steak.

The Sheperds moved their heads backwards and their eyes were met with a pair of cold, crimson eyes on a face decorated with a mocking grin. Strands of dark, crimson strands of hair crept from under the worn out crown on top of its head.

"King Gangrel," Emmeryn spoke, "we have come to negotiate the release of the daughter of the Duke of Themis, as you requested."

"Hah, negotiate you say!" The crimson pools moved left and right, looking down at each Ylisseans until they met Robin's hazel ones.

A pregnant silent invaded the area as the two Plegians stared at each other.

Robin clicked his tongue silently when Gangrel chose to ignore him and shifted to Emmeryn once more. His whole body went rigid. He clenched his fists and tucked his arms closer, just so they won't grab the sword on his hip. He ignored the conversation between the two leaders completely, opting to skim through the area for a second time.

Emmeryn's scream for Chrom, followed by Gangrel's menacing laughter finally brought the tactician back to his senses. The prince was holding Falchion. A Plegian was lying in a pool of red near the Exalt.

"Hahahahaha!" Gangrel's laughter could be heard for miles from the area. "I hope you understand what this means your Exaltyness. And don't think you got one over me just because that Sanctum brat's on your side now. You'll see, he'll cross you just like he crossed me when he squeezed all he needed from you."

All the Sheperds eyes now focused on the tactician.

"Robin," Chrom said, "so you really know him?"

"Know me? Hah! Who do you think got me my throne?"

The Sheperds didn't even have the time to respond when a black-clad woman emerged from behind the Plegian king.

"Pray tell… Kingmaker," she asked, twisting the ends of her long white hair. "Why are you down there, when you should be up here alongside us, your countrymen?"

And with that, something inside Robin snapped. He laughed to his heart content, like he hadn't for years. "Now that's a joke of the year." He looked straight to the woman, "you killed my family after we won you the country, and you dare ask me to still stand beside you?"

"Awww, you can't still be hung up on that do you?" the woman cooed. "Eliminate those that brought you up, and you don't have to fear anyone knows how to bring you down. Men have been doing this since old times. You of all people should know this well, Mr. Tactician."

"And yet here I am, still alive."

Robin's comeback made Gangrel lost his grin. "Hah, enjoy it while it lasts maggot! You'll be dog food by the end of the day, all of you. Starting with the wench."

Gangrel pointed his sword at Maribelle, and a man holding an axe made way towards her.


	10. Tactician part II

Maribelle just watched as the exchange between the two leaders unfolded. She didn't even think of any words to say. She couldn't. If she hadn't been so eager to pursue the trespassers, all of this could be avoided. And she might have to pay this grave mistake with her life. But did she regret doing what she did? No, not in the long shot. Noblesse oblige, her father always said.  _It is the duty of those that have to serve those that doesn't._  His voice played through her head as she looked at her friends. Lady Emmeryn tried her best to convince the Plegian King to spare her, but everyone knew that wasn't going to happen. She shifted her gaze on the Sheperds one by one until she came upon the youngest of the royal siblings. Her best friend Lissa.  _Sweet Lissa._  The only thing she regretted would be her dragging the royal house when they should've leaved her.  _Let's hope the new tactician the prince hired is smart enough not to get his employers killed._ Maribelle snapped out of her thought when she noticed the Mad King pointed his swords at her. Another barbarian walked towards her, axe in hand. She closed her eyes, waiting for what was coming.

"Wind!"

Maribelle opened her eyes and found the man earlier was lying on the ground. Blood spewed out of the numerous small cuts on his naked chest. She fell headfirst when the man holding her pushed her to the ground, shouting "why you little" behind her. She turned and let out a sigh of relief when she saw Ricken and Donnel behind her.

"Wind!" Ricken shouted once more, unleashing a barrage of aircutters from his hand. The axe-wielder sidestepped the young mage's attack and lunged towards the Ylisseans. Donnel jumped in front of his friend and thrust his lance, trying to maintain their range advantage. The Plegian dodged his attack as well, and with a heavy cleave, cut the spear tip from shaft clean off. He kicked the farmer in the gut, sending both Donnel and Ricken to the ground.

"You're dead boy!"

"Guess again!"

The Plegian fell backwards, seemingly by himself following the mysterious, yet strangely familiar voice. Maribelle couldn't believe her eyes when the man gagged a few times and coughed out blood. She squinted to make sense what was happening, and found a spear tip sunk at the man's throat. She had to trace the  _thing_  that saved her from the spear all the way to its wielder.

"Kellam? What are you doing here?" Ricken asked, helping Donnel to his feet.

"Actually, that's my question." Kellam walked towards Maribelle. "Saving her was  _my_ job, and didn't the captain and Robin ask you two to stay at the castle? So what are  _you_ doing here?" The armored knight cut the rope binding Maribelle's hands and helped her up. Ricken and Donnel only managed to smile sheepishly at the question.

"Thank you. All of you," Maribelle said. "Oh Donnel, you're hurt. Here." The blonde reached for her staff on the ground and activated her healing magic for the farmer-turned-soldier. "Now, let us go help our friends shall we?"

"Here," Kellam handed Donnel a spear and pulled the one from earlier out of the Plegian's throat, "I'll take the lead, you guard the back," he said.

Donnel nodded at the instruction. The four Sheperds proceeded down the hill using the route closest to them. Plegian soldiers sprung from the thicket nearby and went on to block them.

* * *

Robin looked at the Plegian soldiers coming out of the forest in front of him. Half went straight for his group and the other went to intercept the Sheperds coming down from the mountain. Another group of Plegians showed themselves from behind the Mad King and came down using the other route.

"Cover the Exalt! Lon'qu, Vaike!" Robin shouted, blocking and parrying the incoming arrows with his shield. Frederick and Phila stuck close to Emmeryn. The falcon knight also parried the arrows with her sword while the great knight used his whole body as a wall. Chrom and Lissa supported each other while retrieving alongside their sister.

Robin eyed his surroundings, dodging and blocking the attacks from the Plegians in front of them. He blocked another blow from an axe-wielder and pushed the bigger man with all his might. The tactician planted his sword in the man's chest, ending him right there. He looked beyond the lifeless corpse towards the soldiers spewing out from the thick bush between the two roads. His eyes stopped at the last man coming out from the green. He was gripping a sword very similar to the Mad King, staring straight at the tactician. Robin smiled. Lazlo, he thought to himself.

"Chrom, the riders should arrive soon. Tell Miriel to block the other route." Chrom looked at the path on the left now plagued with the enemies and nodded. "Let Virion provide cover fire while you, Sully and Stahl round up the mobs."

Finished with his instruction, Robin went straight for Lazlo.

* * *

Lon'qu and Vaike went out of their hiding spot at the signal from their tactician. Robin had sent them earlier utilizing the hidden trails in anticipation of an ambush from the Plegians. Kellam was to use another path to rescue Maribelle. With the knight's group on higher ground, and the swordsman and the fighter attacking from behind, _they_  had the enemies surrounded.

Lon'qu paced upwards towards the unsuspecting Plegians. He readied his sword, gripping the blade with both hands. He pointed the tip forward when he entered his range. With blinding speed, he stroke.

The man tugged at the blade protruding from his chest. His comrades were disarrayed by his sudden state. Some walked straight towards their original targets, some turned around to face their new attackers, one didn't even know what to do and halted for a moment. A moment that proved to be fatal when an arrow pierced his neck from behind.

Lon'qu pulled his sword from the lifeless man as swift as he sunk it. Red liquid came gushing from the body along with the tempered steel, but he hardly care. The sight of blood no longer flinch him, no matter the volume. Plus, he had his mission. Kill anyone that moved that aren't friend, Robin said. Vaike had already started with his side.

The Feroxian grunted and dodged a blow from an axe-wielder. Too slow, he thought, and moved to the man's side. He crossed his blade under the man's arm and raised it with lightning speed. The blade slowed down when it met its target, but came out with ease nonetheless, leaving behind a trace of blood and an axe-holding arm on the ground. The swordsman clicked his tongue through the Plegian's scream and blocked a sword strike on his left. He kicked the now one-armed man and pushed the soldier away. He sunk his blade at the new attacker's neck, killing him immediately. Lon'qu pulled his killing edge and made a wide slash with one fluid motion. "Be quiet!" he yelled to the body missing a head and an arm in front of him.

The flock of Plegians coming out from the forest stopped. Lon'qu looked around to find Vaike smashing the side of his axe against another fighter's face and Kellam impaling a mage with his spear. Only a handful more and they'd be able to regroup. The swordsman reverted his sights in front of him when two fighters approached him.

* * *

Miriel laid her eyes on the battle playing on the ground. Robin was locking blades with another man while other Plegians poured out from the forest. Chrom and Frederick were deflecting the attacks coming towards them while Lissa provided support. Phila stayed with the Exalt all the time, carrying out her duty in keeping their leader safe. Sully and Stahl, taking advantage of their mobility, intercepted the enemies before they could reach the royals. Virion, sitting behind the male cavalier, picked up the ones coming down from the hill.

"Hang on tight, we're going in." Sumia's voice reached her ears, breaking her focus from the ground. Miriel moved her body closer towards the pegasus knight in front of her and primed an arcfire spell in her right hand.

With Kellam and Lon'qu's team handling the descending Plegians on one route, their job was to make sure their enemies didn't pincer their comrades from the other. Sumia tugged the rein of her pegasus and lowered their altitude. She moved the steed left and right, avoiding the occasional arrows and spells coming their way. Miriel released the spell as soon as they entered striking range. The impact of her spell broke the rocks on the higher ground and blocked the second route completely. Some even landed on the Plegians on the base, giving the Sheperds some needed breathing room. The forest started burning following the fire attack.

Sumia turned the pegasus and landed close to Chrom and the others, readying themselves for the remaining enemies.

* * *

Robin never broke his eyes from the man locking blades with him. It was said that a well-trained warrior could see his opponent's next move from his eyes. Of course, it was also said that any well-trained warrior could mask his true intention from the enemy just as well. And Lazlo was definitely a well-trained one. Maybe much more than Robin, given his origin.

The men broke out from their position and resumed the fight. Slashes blocked, attacks parried, and they soon found themselves in a stalemate once more.

"You should've come with me," Robin said through gritted teeth.

"And abandon those that had done so much for me? You must be joking. My loyalty's not so cheap you could buy with a few coins." Lazlo pushed Robin, sending the tactician backwards a few steps. He raised his sword, now emitting a golden glow, and brought it downwards, as if cleaving an invisible log.

Robin took a big step backwards, barely dodging the shot of lightning from Lazlo's sword. He lunged forward, slashing downwards at the opponent.

Lazlo parried the attack and followed with one of his own, which the tactician blocked with his shield. The impact from the metals clashing sent Lazlo a step back. Robin took the chance and let out a horizontal slash. Lazlo blocked the attack and brought it in front of him. The men locked their blades for the third time since their fighting started.

"Admirable, but blind loyalty is just ignorance. You don't even know what you're fighting for this time."

"Robin!" Chrom's voice rose from the back amidst the sound of clashing steel and burning trees. "We got her, time to go."

The tactician let out a smile and pushed Lazlo with all his weight. He took two large backsteps and turned around to the retreating Sheperds.

Lazlo just watched as Robin and the Sheperds became smaller and smaller. "Stop. We've got what we came for, no need to go after them." He looked around to the bodies of his comrades lying lifeless on the ground. "His highness is waiting. Let's go."

* * *

That night, Robin was summoned to the throne room. As usual, the three royal siblings and their stalwarts were present. The tactician turned to see Sully and Stahl stood at the entrance instead of the usual guards, and he was almost positive Kellam was also in the room somewhere. He turned around once more to face his employers.

"Am I fired? Or am I really to become your prisoner now?"

"No, nothing of the sorts," Chrom said. "It's just, we really want to know. Gangrel said you and the Sanctum won him the throne of Plegia. Was it true?"

"That, would be true."

"Do you mind telling us why?"

"Isn't it obvious? He paid us to." Robin smiled seeing the surprised looks on the faces present in the room.

"I… see. Do you mind telling us about it?"

"To be completely honest with you, I'd rather not."

"And why is that?"

"Well, it's not exactly a story you'd tell your family over dinner. I mean, Gangrel was in it. And most importantly," Robin raised his head and looked at the royal siblings from the center of the room. He set his gaze on Chrom, then to Lissa, and finally to Emmeryn. He could've sworn the eldest royal flashed him a sad smile when their eyes met, but that might just be his mind playing tricks on him. He took a deep breath and continued, "it's how we killed your father."


	11. The Lord

In a week's time, seven years would pass since Exalt Annsell of Ylisse declared a war against Plegia. Under the banner of the Divine Dragon Naga, the holy knights entered their westerly neighbor with the sole purpose of ridding this world of the Grimleals and thus freeing humanity from the Six Wings of Death and Destruction, the Fell Dragon Grima. Starting with the one closest to the border, the flame of war burnt through the country like a wild fire, threatening to scorch all six realms of Plegia, until one man decided to raise steel against the conquerors, sealing the fate of the two nations for years to come.

King Gangrel of Westwater opened his eyes after closing them for the hundredth time that night. The night was so dark he could barely make out the silhouette of the white-haired woman sleeping next to him. Only the sound of her controlled breathing, soft and steady, reached his ears. The king moved towards the edge of his bed. He sat there, just staring at the blackness of the center of the room. Had this been the day, or if he'd go and light the candle, he'd be staring at a letter on top of a marble desk. Nonetheless, the fact he couldn't see it didn't lighten the weight of the paper crushing his shoulder. Gangrel clicked his tongue and gritted his teeth at just the mere thought of the letter's content.

"You're tensing up again." Aversa's soft voice rang through his ears. Before he knew it, a pair of arms came wrapping him from behind. "A king should look after himself, so he could look after his subjects later." Her warmth heated up the fibers of his body, and the soft breathing on his left ear sent him to loosen his jaw.

"How can I sleep when Plegia is crumbling as we speak, knowing it'll come to Westwater sooner or later. And that idiot Jurdan dared ask for more soldiers when he's the one killing the people more than the damned Ylisseans. Even a fisher can see he's been sending his soldiers to the frontline like pouring oil to a fire. Oil's gone, and the fire keeps getting bigger."

"That is unfortunate. Then why not solve the problem ourselves?" Aversa ran her fingers through the king's red hair.

Gangrel turned around to face the woman.

"Take him off the stage, and show him, show the Ylisseans how it's done."

That's absurd. The Claywoods won't take kindly to people ousting their king. Even an idiotic one."

"Yes, which is why milord's first action should be to unite all of Plegia under one banner. Then the people won't be able to say anything, no, they will beg to join milord's cause. When that happens, you will get an army that'd rival even those Ylisseans."

Gangrel grasped the woman by her shoulders, pushing her away from him. He stared straight at the smiling woman in front of him.

"The Kingmakers." Aversa said.

"Hah! Now you're just spouting nonsense woman. Westwater can barely survive on her own. And you're telling me to spare coins for those low-life mercenaries?"

"Good thing comes at a price milord. Even more so when the stake is this high. And you need not do it alone. I will always be by your side, and Lord Validar would be more than happy to assist, if milord would just ask."

Gangrel lost his tongue at the woman's words. Aversa beamed a smile at the king and cupped his cheeks with both hands. She planted her lips on the king's, "let us retire for the night. We have a long journey tomorrow."

* * *

"A brat? I came all the way here, offering you a job and all that I have, and you gave me a brat?"

Gangrel couldn't believe his eyes. A young man, a boy,  _a brat_  stood before him, staring straight at the king with little interest.

"If I want a brat telling me what to do, I'd just find a wench somewhere and made him myself. You expect me to trust the fate of my people to a maggot that barely-"

The king stayed his tongue when he felt the sensation of steel under his chin. The thin edge grazed his skin ever so slightly when he swallowed the lump formed inside his throat. The hair behind his neck stood up, catching the cold of the night, spreading it to his toe. He only allowed his eyes movement.

"You best watch your tongue,  _king_." At seven feet, the captain of the Silver Sanctum towered over everyone in the room. "Your whole…  _realm_  not worth half his value. Be grateful we even listened to you in the first place. Not many had the privilege, especially one as  _cheap_  as you."

Gangrel's teeth came crushing down on each other. He brought his hand towards his neck and gripped the blade under his chin. He moved the sword from its place as red liquid started creeping through his fingers. He grunted, glaring daggers at the men smiling in front of him.

"Now now gentlemen. Let us not lose the sight of our real enemy here." Aversa clapped her hands, grabbing the attention of all the eyes in the room. "Would Master Robin tell of his insight after listening to our plight?" She reached for Gangrel's bloodied hand, examined it, and poured some vulnerary over the cut.

Robin let out a very elegant smile for the ones in the room. "First of all, you don't just take down just because you don't like him. That would spark a civil war, one that Plegia can't afford to have right now."

Gangrel just grunted at the teenager's response. "What're you getting at, boy? Is my problem so hard not even the Silver Sanctum had the galls to solve it?"

"Oh no, of course not. We could collapse his realm anytime we want actually. We just don't have the right reason, until now. You see, raising a king isn't that hard. It's making sure he stays up is the problem. What good is uniting a country when you're stark naked for the real fight after. Isn't that why you're here,  _milord_?"

Robin smiled. "Have you ever heard the phrase one death a tragedy, a hundred a statistics?"

"Hah! And the brat talks about numbers now. What difference does it make when Plegians're dying by the thousands?"

"Everything really. The opposite rings true as well. A hundred good deeds are charities, one is kindness, a  _miracle_  in this day and age. Men are simple creatures, when we're hungry, we eat. When in darkness, we try to find light." Robin made way towards the king, "and when everything seems over, when the sky seemed to come crashing down, we strive to find one thing, one single thing to latch on, that tiny hope that everything will change for the better, that everything's going to be alright. You can grant these people all the help, the  _charity_ they need, but that won't make them see things your way. You need to show them what they want, the kindness, the miracle. The  _light_." By the time he finished, Robin was standing right in front of Gangrel, whispering into the king's ears.

"And… what do you propose, boy?"

Robin just smiled at the king's question. "A son," he said, nodding his head, "you're going to need a son."

* * *

Gangrel sat on top of his horse, looking at the aftermath of their recent skirmish with the Ylisseans. Broken swords, shattered shields, lifeless bodies laid around him. The sickly sweet smell of burnt flesh entered his nostrils. His stomach churned at the sensation. One thing the mercenaries knew better than him was how to wage a war, and win it.

The king got down from his horse. He grunted, and his eyes twitched as he walked through the incomprehensible mess. Pieces big and small, soft and hard, all black. He stopped before one of his soldiers lying still on the ground, gazing at the clear blue sky. Two arrows planted on his red-dyed sternum. Gangrel took the man's hands and folded them over his chest. He put his fingers on the man's eyelids and granted him the sleep he didn't deserve.

"Milord." Gangrel turned around to see a soldier standing behind him. The king stood up and looked straight at him. "With our victory here, we have about two hundred new faces asking to join our cause. Also, Lord Mustafa had agreed to pledge half his army for us."

"Good. Where's the brat?"

"Robin is in the strategy tent along with his captain and Lord Mustafa. He said you are free to join them should you choose to."

Gangrel shoved the soldier to the side and made his way to his horse. Cheeky brat, he thought. One of these days, he'd get that grin off of his face.

* * *

Gangrel entered the strategy tent to be met with four pair of eyes. One of which, he had never seen before.

"Who's the new guy?" He went to take a seat at the corner.

"This," Robin said, "is one of my associates. His name is not important right now. We're only interested in the news he brought."

Gangrel grunted and gestured for the young tactician to proceed. Robin smiled and nodded at his friend.

"Yes, of course." The man started. His voice was somewhat muffled from the piece of cloth covering the lower part of his face, but clear enough for Gangrel not to click his tongue. "First of all, I am happy to inform you the soldiers you sent to Claywood had proven their worth. Together with Lord Jurdan's army, they managed to stop the Ylisseans from advancing. Both armies are now in a stalemate at the center region. But unfortunately, halting the enemies alone isn't enough and-"

"And the idiot's requesting for more men."

"That… would be correct."

"Figures. So, can we afford to send them more?"

"About that your highness," Gangrel looked to his side to face the soldier that went to get him earlier, "with the addition of Lord Mustafa's men, we do have enough to spare them. In fact, if we mobilize all of our men, and combining our force with Lord Jurdan's, we actually have enough to win Claywood and get the Ylisseans out of Plegia."

Gangrel's eyes widened. He straightened his back at the words.

"I know what you're thinking right now, and I'm sorry, but that will not happen." Robin's voice made the king clicked his tongue. He slouched back into his seat.

Mustafa was about to say something as well when Robin continued, "while it's true we have enough force to go toe-to-toe with the Ylisseans, we also need to look pass the fight. The  _escalation_." The brunette shifted his sight on the Plegian lords.

"We drive the Ylisseans away now, and without a doubt, their main army, with the Exalt at the helm, will come knocking. And we have to greet them stark naked when that happens."

"Milords, while it may be tempting to go on the offensive, I believe we should stick to our plan right now. We'll send some troops to Claywood, just enough not to get overwhelmed, and get the other Plegian lords under one banner as fast as we can."

Robin's reasoning seemed to finally get through to Gangrel and Mustafa, evidenced by them relaxing their stance for once.

"And besides, we actually have a far more important task at hand." Robin smiled and gestured for his masked friend once more.

"Milords, we also have reports of a small company of Ylissean soldiers snooping around the border. Given their size and position, we believe they are vanguards from the halidom, sent to scout the other realms as well."

"Lowlife maggots." Gangrel just stared at the top of the tent with blanked expression. "They think they can get one past us while we're busy with that idiot. What now, brat?" For some reason, the venom in his voice was non-existent.

"I think Lord Mustafa should go to the aid of Claywood, as an official general of the United Plegian Army. We'll have the bulk of our force here under Lord Validar's command, just in case something happens. And Lord Gangrel will go and intercept the vanguards. What better way to gain the recognition and support from the other lords and people than to go and give them the hope they so desperately needed?"

"Hmmph, then what are we waiting for?"

Robin smirked at the 'question' from the king. He nodded to the soldier standing beside Gangrel. The man gave a salute and paced out of the tent.

* * *

"Lord Gangrel!"

A Plegian soldier threw himself in front of the king. He clenched his shoulder as the arrow intended for the lord stuck firmly in his flesh.

Gangrel kicked the lifeless body at the end of his sword and raised the blade. He pulled the blade downwards, unleashing a golden lightning bolt at the archer.

The ranger dropped to his knees, mouth foaming, body twitching. Jolts of electricity still could be seen running from his head to toe.

The Ylisseans left two villages burnt on their scouting of Plegia's east coast. Following their enemies' footsteps, Gangrel and his company managed to track them down to another small village, so small it wasn't even in the map. Although there were signs the village fought back, the Ylisseans had almost finished when Gangrel arrived. The Plegian army took advantage of their element of surprise and managed to suppress the enemies. No prisoners were taken.

Gangrel tossed a vulnerary at the soldier. He looked around at the battlefield, making sure no Ylissean left standing. He stopped when he spotted Robin's purple cloak not far from his position. The brunette was talking to the only villager that survived the attack.

"Count the survivors," Gangrel said. He made his way towards his tactician.

* * *

"We're done here," Gangrel said, getting Robin's attention.

"Ah, Lord Gangrel, perfect timing." Robin turned around and gestured at the survivor. "I believe we have found you a son."

Gangrel grunted as he examined the young man in front him. Black and red stains smeared his face. His clothing was dyed dark crimson. They locked eyes for a few moments, before Gangrel decided to talk.

"What's your name, boy?"

"One-seven-three-nine," he said. "They called me one-seven-three-nine."

Gangrel furrowed his brows at the answer. He looked to his surrounding for the second time. More than half of the 'villagers' were children and teenagers, wearing the same white clothing, now stained with black and red. And the others had bright red cloaks wrapped around their body.

"From now on, your name is Lazlo." Gangrel stabbed his sword on the ground in front of the young man. "And your allegiance is only to the great banner of Plegia." He turned around and moved towards his soldiers gathering at the center of the village, leaving behind the young man and his smiling tactician.


	12. The Prince

Lazlo took a big gulp from his waterskin and set his sight back on the vast, golden sand of the Great Desert. He wiped the sweat pooling on his brows and looked at his companion beside him. Robin was leaning against the giant rock they used for hiding. The hood covering his face made it so only the bottom half of his face could be seen.

Around them, fifty soldiers waited for their target. Some hid behind the rock, using the shadow to escape the scorching sun. Some crouched under the bush scattered about.

"Are you sure they're coming? Or is this even the right place? That informant of yours, he's Ylissean right?"

"Really? You've been with us for eight months and you're asking that  _now_?"

"We've been waiting for half a day. Still no sign of them."

"Relax, my info's rock solid. They'll be here. You need to learn to take it easy some times. Else you won't be able to move when the time comes."

Lazlo let out a sigh and planted himself beside the tactician.

"Tell me, why aren't the Ylisseans attacking?"

Robin straightened his back and looked at the man beside him. He reached for the waterskin, revealing the mark on his right hand. The six eyes staring at him sent a jolt down Lazlo's spine. Without thinking, he crossed his arms in front of him, rubbing his right shoulder in the process.

"I'm sorry. Do you even know why we're here right now?" Robin took a gulp from the container.

"You know what I mean. If those Ylisseans have an army as big as you said, why don't they send their main forces straight to Claywood? Why the small vanguards to the obscure parts of Plegia when all the riches are at the center region?"

"Who know," Robin said. "Maybe their military advisor doesn't deserve the credit we gave him. Maybe they  _do_  have an excess number of soldiers and don't even care if they lost one or two good companies. Maybe… they're trying to distract us with the east and west coast while they send more troops to the center region. An all out battle would just leave a burning land. What's the point of taking over a country if you can't reap her riches afterwards?"

Lazlo huffed at the tactician's answers. "You do realize there's only one plausible answer out of the three you just gave me right?"

Robin just shrugged at Lazlo's comeback. "In any case, it's my job to worry of such things. Yours is to lead your men to victory and gain the support of the people for your father. Speaking of which…"

Robin pulled his hood back, revealing his usual grin. Lazlo stood up from his spot and peeked behind the rock. Clouds of dust rose in the horizons as ten, twenty horses galloped across the great desert.

* * *

The Plegians' mission was a success. They managed to defend another village from the Ylisseans attack, winning the support of the villagers in the east coast. Lazlo and his company, plus some new recruits, marched back to Mustafa's territory, which they used as their command center for their campaign.

"Finally, home sweet home. Can't wait to get out of this damned outfit, and get some real food for a change." Lazlo looked towards the main gate in the distance, turning his head backwards a few times to check on his men. His horse galloped slowly through the evening chilling evening desert.

"Now that's something we don't hear every day." Robin came beside him, matching his own horse's pace with the prince's. "Prince Lazlo, people's champion, bringer of hope, longing to get out of his battle attire."

"Robin, we've been out for almost ten days now. Say what you want, but I'm getting out of these things soon as we get home."

"Prince Lazlo, I'm sorry to inform you that your wish would have to be postponed." Lazlo's retainer came on his other side, also on a horse. The prince ignored the light chuckle from his tactician and turned his head to the right.

"The news of your victory would have reached the city by now. Knowing the hierophants, they probably have some sort of banquet waiting for us."

"Ugh, those nobles again. I'm telling you, I'll probably die from too much food rather than being stabbed in a fight. At least the people will have some decent meal tonight."

"I hope you'll enjoy yourselves then. Feel free to eat my portion as well." Robin tugged at the rein of his horse, changing its course.

"You're not coming?"

"Nope. I still need to coordinate the next move for the Ylisseans." He smirked at seeing the faces Lazlo and the soldier made from his words. "Kidding. Our new arms supplies ports tonight. I need to make sure it goes smooth. Can't fight a war with just flesh and bones you know."

"You want me to go with you? At least take some men there."

"Definitely not. This is between the Sanctum and our dealer. Outsiders will just spook them." With a firm kick and a quick whip at the leash, Robin sped away from the convoy, leaving behind a trail of dust cloud.

Lazlo's retainer sighed when Robin's silhouette was out of their sight. "I'm very sorry milord, but that man scares me."

"You don't trust him?"

"Most of the men don't milord. We know nothing about the so called Silver Sanctum. Other than they're really good at getting things done… and making people disappear. There are rumors."

"I'm pretty sure those are baseless. If they're so good at making people disappear  _discreetly_ , then why did the rumors floated in the first place. They're just riding the wave people gave them. No need to stop baseless accusations when they add to your profile. I wouldn't think too much of it. We have the support of Lord Validar, the First Priest of the Grimleals. Between him and Lord Gangrel, I'm pretty sure there's nothing the Sanctum could think of that we couldn't solve."

"I sure hope so… Would you listen to that? I think the people are just dying to see their hero."

Lazlo smiled at the soldier's words. He straightened his back and guided his horse through the opened gates.

* * *

Loud cheers 'ambushed' Lazlo and his men when they walked through the gate. People big and small, young and old, nobles and farmers alike chanted for the prince, smiling ear to ear and waving their hands. The smell of meats and spices permeated through the air, finding its way to the soldiers.

The prince waved to the cheering crowd as he made his way to the massive mess tent in the town square. His men followed suit, waving to the crowds and grabbing the flasks of ales and wines offered to the. The villagers roamed the street after their heroes.

The celebration lasted for a few hours. The moon was already on the sky when the people decided to let the prince go. Lazlo planted himself on his bed, still in his battle clothes, only bothering to take off the boots and the heavier pieces. Just a little bit more, he thought, staring at the ceiling in complete darkness. His eyelids got heavier and heavier as the softness of the bed and the soothing darkness crept onto him.

* * *

A loud knock woke Lazlo from his slumber. He opened his eyes, only to close them back again from the piercing brightness of the land of the living. He sat up, groggily rubbing his eyelids, opening them bit by bit, familiarizing his eyes to the light.

"Who's there?" he asked.

"It's Mina."

Lazlo opened his eyes wide and sprung straight out of bed upon hearing the voice and the name. Mostly the voice. That sweet, slightly high-pitched voice that was like honey to his eardrums.

"C-come on in." Lazlo went straight to the wash basin on the table beside his bed. He shivered for a few moments when the cold liquid grazed his face as the creaking sound of the doors reached him.

A young woman stood at the door. Wilhelmina, one of the maidservants in Lord Mustafa's castle. Smoke rose from the jug on the steel tray in her right hand. If the water didn't snap him out of his drowsiness, her bright smile definitely did.

The woman entered the room and placed the tray on the table at the center. She motioned for the door and two other women entered with a tray in each hand.

"I thought you might want some 'breakfast'," she said, closing the door after the others left. Lazlo took his seat and readied two plates. He motioned for the woman to join him.

Wilhelmina gasped at the prince's action. "Milord, I musn't. These are just for you." She smiled when Lazlo gave her the 'look' and proceeded to place a piece of bread on each plate. She took her spot on the other side of the table, just like she always did.

"So, another campaign, another success for Prince Lazlo, Plegia's hope and dream."

"Stop it. You know Lord Gangrel's their real hope. He was the one that actually thought of uniting the country when every local lord was only thinking about their territory. He even went ahead and hired the Silver Sanctum to realize it. I'm… just his shadow, for the people to chase at in his absence."

"I know. I just like to remind you that didn't make you less of a hope to them. And besides, teasing you is fun." Lazlo rolled his eyes at her remark. "Speaking of the Sanctum, where is their infamous Chief of Operations? I haven't seen him since… well, ever."

"He didn't come back with us yesterday. He got some stuff to do. Why you ask?"

"Nothing really. His strategy just seems weird to me. Let's say we actually manage to get the people under one banner and drove the Ylisseans out of Claywood, what's to keep  _them_  from skipping Claywood altogether after that. What if they keep sending troops to the east and west coast just like now when our soldiers pooled in one place?"

Lazlo stopped eating at hearing the question. He stood up and went for his satchel at the foot of the bed.

"Just… keep this between us alright. With the army getting bigger by the minute, there's bound to be some irregularities in the ranks. Can't have this out before the time comes, or Robin will have my head." He produced a rolled parchment from the leather pouch.

"We weren't just taking care of the scouts." He spread the paper, a map, on his bed and motioned for his friend to join him. "We're also identifying the vulnerable spots and the easiest routes to those critical ones. Right now, the people are actually building some sort of fort in their places. And Lord Gangrel's also doing the same thing in the west region. If the Ylisseans decided to go elsewhere, those buildings will prove useful."

Wilhelmina's eyes widened when she saw the map. Red lines were drawn all over the east part of Plegia. Lazlo just smiled at seeing her reaction.

"Now, here's the important part." He pointed to the center of the map, "Claywood's actually in the very center of Plegia. So, if we actually managed to build a centralized army here, we'll be able to send our troops anywhere in the country within reasonable time. Which is also why the Ylisseans would want to take Claywood first."

"Wow. You know, sometimes I think Robin just made it all up as he goes, but this is… wow."

Lazlo smiled at Wilhelmina's words, but the arc at the edge of his lips turned flatter when her bright expression turned cloudy.

"Something's wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing really. It's just… kinda lonely back here." She flashed him a sad smile. "It's only been six, seven months? But you two are the only ones I can have normal conversations with. The closest things I have to friends. With you saving all those people, and Robin being Robin, it's like I'm the only one that can't do anything."

Lazlo sighed at hearing her. "Mina, we've talked about this. You can't do anything because it's not the time yet. And besides, you can actually fly anytime you want for goodness sake. How's your training?"

"Well. If you count my teacher leaving me two hundred pages of old text to go through while she went to another battle as 'well'."

The prince chuckled at her response. "There's nothing we can do about that. Other than Robin, Lady Aversa's the only one that knows anything about strategies. With Robin stuck with me, Lord Gangrel kinda needs her. And besides, I'm pretty sure they'll come back soon enough. And when all of this is finally over, you can have all the lesson you want."

"In that case, I better clean these up and get back to my 'training' then. Can't have her know I've been neglecting my studies," Wilhelmina said. Her smile made the prince fluttered. He beamed her a smile of his own, just as bright as hers.

* * *

One whole week had passed since their return. Lazlo was getting ready for his usual patrol of the nearby area when a maidservant came looking for him. Gangrel had returned from his campaign in the west coast and demanded an audience from him. The prince went straight for the meeting room.

"Lord Gangrel, it is good to have you back here," Lazlo said as he walked through the door. "And Lady Aversa as well," he added when he spotted the tuft of white hair from behind the king.

"Seems we're almost done with the east. I guess making you the commander while I'm gone wasn't such a bad idea after all."

"You're too kind milord. It was all Robin and the Sanctum. Without them, I don't think we'll be able to achieve this much in this little time."

Gangrel just grunted at the younger man's response.

"Speaking of which, where is the lad?" Lazlo turned his head when a familiar voice caught his attention. His lips curled upwards without him even thinking when Wilhelmina flashed him a smile from beside her master.

"Lord Mustafa. My apologize. I… didn't think you'd be here. Is the situation in Claywood improving for once?"

"I wish. The boy asked us to be here."

Lazlo tilted his head at hearing the answer. He gave the room one full turn, and finally realized the presence of some nobles and local lords. He was about to open his mouth when the door creaked open.

"Morning everyone. Sorry I'm late." Robin strolled in, followed by a man wearing a wyvern rider outfit. Two guards carrying a crate as big as a coffin came in after them.

"Milords, miladies, this is Lord Orton of the Skyraiders. He, along with his fellow wyvern riders had agreed to join us in our noble cause."

Robin's announcement was met with cheers from some, and whispers from the others. Nonetheless, it put a smile on Lazlo's face. Now they actually had a fighting chance against Ylisse's pegasus corps.

"And the crate? Don't tell us you already got the Exalt himself in there?" Gangrel asked.

Robin smiled and kicked the lid off the crate. Swords, spears, even some bows and tomes were arranged neatly in it, enough for a small team of soldiers. "I have fifteen carts of these waiting in the castle's yard."

Wow, fifteen carts, Lazlo thought. He blinked a few times when he realized how much fifteen carts of weapons actually were. "Robin," he said. His heart pounded on his chest when he thought about his question and the answer he'd get from the tactician. "Why do we need fifteen carts worth of weapons?"

Robin's elegant smile turned into a smug grin at the question. "Why do you think?"

The room exploded at hearing Robin's rhetorical question.


	13. Kingmaker part I

"Plegians," Robin spoke from the stage where he and the leaders stood. His eyes moved from one edge of the room to the other as he looked at the generals and lords staring back at him. He smiled. That same smile he always had in front of this type of crowds. The smile he spent years perfecting.

"About a year ago, Lord Gangrel came to the Silver Sanctum with one request. To see all of Plegia finally united as one, and those Ylisseans out of this sacred land. For a year you followed us. All of you, that believe in his vision. Those that believe with all their heart, that this shattered soil can one day be made whole again."

"For one year I have stood with you, and I have seen it with my own eyes. That sons and daughters of Plegia do have it in them to cast aside their differences for a greater good. This past year, alliance forged, and bonds deepened. And today, I am honored to tell you, that Plegia is whole once more."

The crowds cheered at Robin's words. Soldiers knocked the butt of their lances at the floor, chanting "Lord Gangrel" and "Plegia" one after the other. Robin raised his hands, and the crowds silenced.

"And the time has come for us to finally free the brothers and sisters in Claywood from the clutches of the dreaded Ylisseans."

Another cheer followed.

"Now, I could stand here and blabber for days, and still not finish. So I'll just go ahead and present to you the man you've been waiting for. Lord Gangrel, of the Great Plegian Army."

Another cheer broke out, even louder than before, complete with chanting of Gangrel's name when Robin finished his words and gestured his hand for the king. Gangrel grunted as they crossed path as the tactician backed away and the king moved forward to his spot.

"A bit excessive, don't you think?" Lazlo said when Robin took his spot beside the prince.

"Really? I thought people like this kind of thing before a big battle. Gets them in the mood or something."

The tactician just smiled when Lazlo shook his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose following his answer. Wilhelmina's chuckle also made its way to Robin's ears between the cheers.

Gangrel's speech lasted for about ten minutes, ending with yet another loud cheer. Robin just watched as the redhead raised his swords a few times, each followed by a chance.

* * *

A few hours had passed since the gathering. Robin stood at the now hollowed room, looking at the ceiling with a straight face.

"It's done." Lazlo's voice pulled the tactician back to his spot. He smiled, and turned to face the man.

"Thanks. A week should be enough to get ready. Don't go straight to Claywood just yet. There's an encampment site ten miles before the city. I'll meet you guys there."

"You're not coming with us?"

"No. I still have a few things to flesh out before we start. One wrong move, and this past year would be bubbles in the sea."

Lazlo nodded. He raised his right hand and curled it into a fist. Robin smiled at the gesture. He balled his hand and lightly bumped their knuckles.

The tactician went out of the room and made his way towards the stable.

* * *

The sun had set for some time, and the night was moonless. Perfect for conducting a discreet trade. Robin and the captain of the Sanctum watched as two men carried a mid-sized crate and put it before them.

Of all the hundreds, maybe thousands of the different laws and rules set by the local lords and nobles for their territory, one was constant across Plegia. Spoils of war were free-games, and belong to those that got to them first. This one rule had never changed since the country's inception. Not even the Grimleals had the right to change it. Thus, certain  _things_  could only be acquired from certain ways.

"Fresh off the fields. Got 'em just last week. Never went to a middle-man." Their business partner, the leader of the bandit group, sat on the crate as soon as it reached the ground.

"How much?" Robin said, staring directly at the one eyed man.

"One-fifty."

"That's three times the market price."

The man huffed and traced his finger on the scar crossing over his left eye. "Like I said, these never went to a middle-man. You won't get 'em any cleaner than this. Take it or leave it."

Robin clicked his tongue at the man's response. He produced three pouches from under his cloak and tossed them at the man's feet.

The bandit leader picked up one of the pouches and shook it near his ear. "Sounds about right. Now then," he dropped the coinsack to the ground and brought out his axe, "seeing as you gentlemen are rich enough to pay this much for pieces of junks, I'm guessing there's more where those come from." The other bandits brandished their weapons as he finished his sentence. Some new ones even went out from behind the bushes.

Robin sighed. He turned to face his captain, "it never goes smooth," he said.

The white-bearded man just chuckled. He raised his sword and gave it a few slashes in the air.

"That's it?" The one-eyed man waved his hands in front of him with a mocking gesture. "You think we'll give up just 'cause you waved a s-"

A fireball came falling down before he could even finish. The impact broke the ground mere inches to his right. The area went from a dark state to a blinding brightness in an instance. The crackling sound of burning woods echoed through the area as more and more bush caught in the fire. The leader's mouth went wide agape as the other bandits scattered around, sprinkling the liquid from their waterskin on the red tongues.

Robin let out a smile. "Let me tell you something you don't know. I have three mages standing by, each armed with third tier tomes, just waiting for my signal. I suggest you honor our agreement, or I'll make it rain fire on you tonight."

The scarred man grunted and stood up from the crate. He kicked the pouches Robin threw earlier and moved to the side, leaving the mercenaries in clear view of their 'goods'. Robin gave him another smile, turned around, and walked away. His captain followed suit. The bandit's eye widened and his jaw dropped once more when the two men that stood behind him this entire time went on and picked up the crate, following the teenager.

* * *

The head of the Silver Sanctum sighed as they moved away from the bandits' hideout. He looked to the brown-haired boy walking beside him.

"You know kid," he said, "I think you did a pretty darn good job as a tactician, and I for one am glad we made you one of us, but don't you think you go  _a little bit_ overboard with your tactics sometimes?" He rubbed the bridge of his nose when Robin just frowned at his comment. He sighed once more.

"Look, your tactics're great and all, but you need to learn some finesse if you wanna live longer."

"So you're saying I'm not subtle enough?"

He rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around Robin's neck at his 'question'. They both laughed as they made their way through the night.

* * *

Darksand was an abandoned village just a few miles from the capital of Claywood. At the instruction of their tactician, the Great Plegian Army made camp here instead of heading straight towards the battlefield. The clangs of steels clashing with each other and the boom of explosions rang clearly through to them. Lazlo was walking with his retainer through the camp, checking on the soldiers.

"Keep your weapons sharp, and get as much rest as you can now. That's a luxury we won't be having when this all starts. Those in need of blankets can get it from the quartermaster." The prince pointed towards a tent that was twice as big as the others, where a line of soldiers had formed.

"He's late," the retainer said.

Lazlo turned his head towards the man. "Don't worry. I don't think the Sanctum would just abandon us. They have a reputation to keep. And besides, we just got here. No use getting to the battlefield when we can't even hold our heads up or our swords straight."

"I hope you are right milord. Let's hope he's not selling us to those Ylisseans for bigger coins, and all this isn't just a big ploy at stalling our force."

Lazlo chuckled. "You worry too much. Robin and the Sanctum are quite meticulous. In fact, I won't be surprised if we don't see even one of them for a few days. Why don't you go get some rest? We should send a message to Lord Jurdan of our arrival first thing tomorrow."

The soldier gave him a salute. "Thank you milord."

Lazlo watched as the man turned around and made his way towards the quartermaster's tent. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The sickly sweet smell of blood that transferred from the night's wind into his nostrils turned his stomach inside out. The sound of burning logs and grinding steels entered his ears.  _Come on Robin. Where are you?_

* * *

Dragging his horse by its rein, Robin walked through the Plegian camp. His steps were small and controlled. His eyes moved to the left and right, observing the surroundings. Contrary to the Ylisseans, the Plegians weren't that organized to say the least. With the exception of a few, namely the mages side of the camp, tents scattered around without any rank or file. Half-burnt embers could be seen from the already died campfires, also scattered about in front of some tents. The one thing that more or less the same was the stable, located at the far back, with no tents in sight.

The tactician guided his steed through the muddy road. He arrived at the stable ground to find a man was getting a horse ready. Lazlo put the seat on the beast and tied the binders.

"You're up before noon? That's a first."

The prince turned around when the tactician uttered the words. His eyes widened and his mouth curled upwards. "Robin, you're finally here. That's good. We're going to go meet with Lord Jurdan today, with or without you."

"Hate to tell you this, but that won't be necessary. I've already informed him of our arrival. He should be here later today." Robin gestured the leather strap in his hand to his friend. "Wake me up when he arrived, okay?"

* * *

Lazlo blinked a few times. He couldn't believe himself. He and all the generals were now standing in the strategy tent, the biggest one in the camp. Lord Jurdan and two of his generals arrived the day before. They decided to rest and had the strategy meeting today. Strategy meeting, war council, whatever the part of the country called it. Ever since Lord Gangrel offered him the sword that night, Lazlo had been to these things more than he could count. He had stood beside the tactician, beside his father, some generals he didn't even knew back then, but nothing compared to what he felt now, in this tent filled with twenty, thirty people, some fought alongside him from that day, some offered their swords to him a few months back, some he didn't even meet until yesterday. All gathered here for the same reason. He put his palm on his chest and took a deep breath. He raised his head to see the men surrounding the table at the center.

Lord Jurdan was a big man. And the horned helm he had on his head added a few inches more. The man towered over Robin. The tactician, in his usual getup, only smiled and nodded as he listened to the lord. On the other side of the desk, Lord Gangrel alternated his sight between the bigger and smaller man. He smashed the table and shouted something at the bigger men. Lord Jurdan mouthed something back to the king, and proceeded to raise his axe from his side. Lord Gangrel unsheathed his own Levin Sword. Robin squeezed himself between the two, smiling and showing his palms to both men.

Lazlo snapped out of his reverie when something tugged his hand. He turned his head to find Wilhelmina smiled at his side. As always, her smile brought one to his face, and the poundings in his chest finally subdued.

"It's gonna be fine," she said. "This is Robin we're talking about. He'll think of something."

Lazlo opened his mouth when he heard a loud clap from the center of the tent. "Ladies and gentlemen," Robin said. "From the information relayed by Lord Jurdan, I believe I have found a suitable strategy for us." The tent went as silent as a graveyard and the only sound Lazlo heard was his breathing. Without thinking, he squeezed his left hand on Wilhelmina's, anticipating the tactician's next words.

"We will separate our entire force into four groups."

And Robin did it again. He managed to make a room, an entire tent this time, exploded with just a single sentence.

* * *

"Are you mad, boy?" Mustafa went ahead and rushed in front of the tactician. "Didn't you hear what he just said? We can't afford to thin our defense, there'll be holes before we even knew it. Are you trying to undone what we've accomplished this past year?"

Jurdan grunted. "Countless of men, Claywoods died making sure they never broke through, and now you're asking us to separate? I say we add your men into mine, strengthen the defense, and overwhelm them when they come close."

"While that may be a good idea," Robin said, "it would take too much time and resources, which we can't afford to waste, not now." He walked slowly towards Jurdan, getting his close to him. "And besides, Claywood had endured the attack for too long now. Don't you think it's about time we change the status quo, instead of just staring at each other for another month?"

"And how do you suppose we do that? Their armored knights formed the advance units. They blocked and deflected anything we threw at them. And the rangers attacked from behind when we got in range. Don't you think if there's any way of attacking, I'd already take it instead of joining hands with you weaklings. You can't even come here without banding together."

Gangrel clicked his tongue at the other lord's words.

Robin just smiled at the giant glaring at him. "Oh, I have no doubt milord would take the initiative if there was one. And I'm here to deliver just that."

The tactician brought a chair to one edge of the tent and stood on it, giving him a clear view of the people. "Has anyone seen a pack of wolves march?" Without waiting for answer, he continued. "When they move, the olds and the injureds would take the lead. They, would set the pace for the entire pack. Now, I don't have any doubt the armored knights of Ylisse are the finest defense units in this region. But they're also the slowest."

"The Ylisseans may have the numbers, but that's all they have here. Horses are practically useless in this terrain. Which means their riders now stuck as foot soldiers, tailing behind the rangers."

"We will use the bullhorn formation this time. Two groups will flank them while the other two act as bait. When they get in range, the left one will attack the infantries at the last row, and the right will take care of the rangers. The rest will pick on the tin cans in the front. They can have all the defense they want. Won't do them a thing if we get to their flesh first."

The tent went silent for a moment after Robin's speech, followed by an immediate cheer from the group. The tactician smiled and raised his hands.

"Lord Mustafa and Lord Jurdan will strengthen our defense in the center as usual and pull them closer. Lord Gangrel and Prince Lazlo will lead the flanking teams. We have identified some routes with dunes and bushes we can use to mask our presence. If anyone has any question, please ask them now. If not, let's go win a war."

And the tent exploded for the third time that day.

* * *

Gangrel eyed the Ylissean soldiers moving towards the capital from behind the dunes. Left and right, left and right their feet moved, one step at a time. First, the armored soldiers. The tin cans, as Robin called them. Whole three rows of them. And just like the tactician said, slow as molasses.

The Plegians began their operation at dawn, which meant Gangrel and his men had to move before sunrise, grabbing their way in the dark just to get to the spot. It had been hours since he had a wink of sleep, and how he had longed for warm bed in that bone-chilled cold before the first light. It took him all of his being not to rush the Ylisseans at first sight. And finally, when the sun rise straight above their heads, after countless mages and archers went pass them, their targets appeared. Infantries. Foot soldiers. Whatever they called them on the other side finally appeared before him.

The king raised his hand at the sight of the enemies. The creaking of bows entered his ears. The soldiers were ready. And so was he. And when the first soldier took his first step into the range of their bows, Gangrel snapped down his arm.

Arrows swooshed from behind him, painting a beautiful arc at the sky over the dunes. Some met their intended targets, some struck the ground just behind the last rangers. It didn't matter either way. They had fulfilled their purpose, and the tail was cut from the body.

Gangrel let out a scream and leapt from behind the sand. His sword glowed bright orange over his head. One slash on the air, and a strand of lightning came snaking down on a lancer. Ambush, attack, Plegians entered his ears as he dashed through the desert. His men roared beside him, and behind him, and in front of him.

The Plegians moved towards the Ylisseans, and like calm water disturbed by a rock, their enemies scattered around as two armies clashed. King Gangrel of the Great Plegian Army rushed their 'visitors' from the side, slipping through the ranks of surprised and confused soldiers, leaving behind a trail of crimson liquid on the hot desert sand.

Gangrel sidestepped a lance-thrust from a soldier, put the edge of his blade to the man's throat, and with a firm pull, dyed the man's neck red with his own blood. The king tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. Blood, wet and sticky, covered his face. Might be from his enemies, might be from one of his men. Might even be his. But none of that matter now. He had waited for too long for this day. Too many of his subjects had died just so this day would come. He wouldn't let anyone or anything take this day from him. Grima and Naga be damned, today was his.

"Milord!"

A shout snapped Gangrel out of his trance. A body fell to the ground just three steps to his right. A mage, tome in hand, and fire in the other stared straight at him. The king clicked his tongue. Stray dog, he thought, leaping towards the tome wielder. He kicked the sand at the magician's face and aimed his blade where the woman's eyes should be. A tug and a cream later, he brought the tip of his sword to her neck, twisting the piece of steel as he dug deeper into the lifeless body. He kicked the corpse out of his sight and set his eyes on a different part of the battlefield.

* * *

Seeing the volley of arrows took to the sky on the other side, Lazlo turned to face his retainer and smiled.

"For Plegia."

The man flashed him a smile.

"For Plegia." He nodded to the prince and turned to face their comrades. "For Plegia!" he screamed, raising his sword.

"For Plegia!" The screams from his men rang through Lazlo's ears. And at the exact moment, as if powered by the chants and cheers of his comrades, a surge of energy ran through him from the top of his head all the way to the tip of his toes. A dark red aura, almost fire-like, pulsated from him. And his eyes, by every definition of the words, burned red. A new sensation formed in the pit of his gut, raised to his chest, then to his throat, until he could taste in on his tongue.

"For Plegia!" He opened his mouth. With a roar, the Plegian soldiers got out of their hiding place and rushed the mid-section of the Ylissean army.

Just as Robin instructed, Lazlo's group was to take care of the rangers. In that spilt second, when the vanguards were focused on the Plegians in front, and the back was distracted by Gangrel's assault, they were to strike. Timing was everything. Too slow, and their enemies would already recover from the initial attack. Too fast, and they risked a counter from the armored units up front.

The Plegians executed their plan perfectly. Just moments after Lazlo's attack, the soldiers in the front, led by Jurdan and Mustafa, rushed the armored knights.

Lazlo blocked a strike from a swordsman with his sword. On his right, his retainer rushed towards a mage priming his attack. The prince shifted his gaze to the man in front of him, getting ready for a second blow. The enemy raised his curved sword to shoulder's height and swung it at him. Lazlo shifted his gaze from the man's eyes to the blade coming towards him. The thin piece of steel was coming straight for his neck. He planted his right foot on the ground and raised his sword, also shoulder's high. A loud clang vibrated through his eardrums as the two blades met halfway. Lazlo pointed his sword downwards and locked his opponent's with the hilt of his Levin Sword, now glowing bright orange in his hand. He brought both blades between them. The Ylissean was blown away backwards, shivering, when Lazlo unleashed the full power of the lightning magic from his sword coupled with a simultaneous kicked to the gut.

Following the man's fall, the prince rushed towards a mage preparing his shot.

"Robin!" he said as he plunged his sword into the man's torso.

The tactician finished the archer in front of him and took a large backstep, stopping directly in front of Lazlo. "I did saw him, you know. I could've taken care of him anytime I want."

"Yeah, right." Lazlo smiled as he stood back-to-back with Robin. He always felt like he could achieve anything with the tactician at his side.

Robin raised his sword over his shoulder, dangling it beside the prince. Lazlo gazed at the blade with the corner of his eyes, and raised his own sword. A faint clang was heard when he touched the tip of his blade with the tactician's.

Lazlo and Robin parted ways, going for their targets, leaving behind two trails of similarly dark, red blurs.

* * *

Unknown to the two armies clashing over the piece of land, a pair of eyes were watching the event as it unfolded, away in the distance on top of a mountain. A mountain shaped like a dragon. The pools were black, darker than a moonless night. The owner, a scrawny man with the skin as pale as a corpse. He watched the battle with great intent, moving his eyes whenever the two red 'lights' moved across the desert sand.

A sound of wings flapping pulled him out of his focus. He turned his head to see a black pegasus was landing on his left, before shifting it back to the battle.

"Master Validar." Aversa jumped down from the steed and hurried over to the man's side. "Forgive me. I didn't know you were coming. Had I-"

"It's fine." To put it simply, Validar's voice was otherworldly. Cold, and without a shred of emotion. "I just came to see the vessels."

"Ah yes, of course. One is from the facility-"

"The facility? So there are survivors?"

"Yes, from what I can gather in my travel with the king, there were some that managed to run away, scattered all over Plegia, following the Ylissean's attack. Should we gather them? Just in case."

"No. Annsell's more aggressive than I initially thought. Just let them be for now. And the other one?"

"Apparently he's from a small village near the border. His mother must've been so uneducated she didn't even know of her child's blessing. Quite rough around the edges, but he has potential."

"I see," Validar said, short, and stared back at one of the red blurs.

"Is… something the matter, master?"

"His  _smell._  Reminds me of Rufre. No matter. Who cares about one lost vessel when I have three perfect ones right here. Keep an eye on them."

"Yes, of course." Aversa gave a slight bow before raising her head back up. "Three?"

"It's faint, but  _she_  also has potential. You need to awaken her first thing this ends."

"Yes master."

Aversa gave another bow and mounted her pegasus, leaving the man alone. Validar was still looking when something on his left, quite a distance from the battlefield caught his attention. "Hmm, that's peculiar. Mice, chasing cats?" he said to himself, before shifting his gaze back to the two red lights.

* * *

The battle lasted for duration of the day, ended along with the setting sun. Lazlo was watching the aftermath of the event when a shout from his retainer snapped him back to his senses.

"Prince Lazlo, King Gangrel is requesting you to join him in the council room immediately."

"Understood. Keep an eye out here for me, will you?"

The soldier gave him a salute as the prince walked away from the battlefield.

The trek from where his spot to the Claywood Castle was uneventful to say the least, if one could consider walking through sand full of corpses as uneventful. Victory comes at a price, Robin would say. In all their travels and skirmishes this past year, Lazlo never quite understood what the tactician meant. He fought, hard, making sure his men would come home with their own two feet. So that no wife would be widowed and no children would be left fatherless. With the Sanctum at their side, they always won. Now, walking through the piles of cold fleshes, treading on the red-dyed sand of the Great Desert, choosing his steps carefully, he finally saw the price for their wins. Today, it was the Ylisseans that ended up paying the bulk of it.

Lazlo walked through the desert sand, now darkening as the sun moved lower and lower at the horizon, grasping at everything he could, the images burned on his eyes, the smell piercing his nostrils, the feel of the damp, wet sand under his soles, and put them at the back of his mind. Just one more, he thought.

* * *

Although different from their makeshift strategy tent, and bigger than the ones in Westwater or Lord Mustafa's, Claywood council room was unmistakably one. A bunch of guys, usually but not necessarily gruff looking, gathered around a table with a map on it. Lazlo entered the room and took his seat at one of the empty chairs.

"Report!" Gangrel said.

"Milord." A soldier gave a salute, and produced a parchment from his satchel. "First of all, our forces suffered around thirty percent casualties while dealing more than eighty percent damage on the enemies. Our scouts have confirmed what remains of their army, some mages and infantries, had crossed over to Greenedge shortly before this."

Lazlo's face brightened at hearing the news. They at least achieved their goal today, and with very little loss. The soldiers continued on rambling for quite some time, mainly talking about their supplies and the condition of their forts, which the prince ignored for the most part.

"And lastly… I am very sorry to inform that Lord Jurdan was killed in today's battle."

_What?_  Lazlo jumped in his seat when Mustafa smashed his hand on one end of the table.

"You better not be pulling our legs boy, or I-" the burly man said.

"Lord Mustafa, please, calm down," Claywood's hierophant spoke, gesturing for the lord to take his seat. "While it saddens me to say this, it is all true. We had retrieved Lord Jurdan's body, along with those of his men about five miles east of the battlefield. He seemed to be following a group of deserting Ylisseans and was ambushed."

"Gentlemen," Robin finally spoke. "While I would like to mourn the death of our dear friend, we must not turn our eyes from the real matters at hand. The Ylisseans had crossed over to Greenedge, and they will be coming, if not in a week, then in a month, with an even greater force. We can't have the Plegian Army disassemble now."

"Yes, of course," the hierophant said. "Lord Jurdan wouldn't want that. But what are we supposed to do? We can't keep this a secret forever, Claywoods won't move without their king. And without an heir, a war for the throne would surely come our way. Just when the wind started blowing our way."

"Then might I suggest entrusting Claywood to the one that had made today's victory possible?" Robin rose from his seat and looked to his right.

Gangrel was slouching in his seat at the end of the table.

"Yes, of course. Lord Gangrel had taken all the realms under his wings, what difference does another one make? And Claywoods would even be honored to have the man that united all of Plegia,  _and_ came to our aid as our new king. Milord Gangrel, when all hope is lost, you have come to fight alongside us and brought another chance for a peaceful Plegia once again. I beg of you, avenge Lord Jurdan and bring us out of this dark time."

Gangrel grunted in his seat and stood. He looked at Robin for an instance before directing his gaze back to the hierophant. "The honor is all mine."


	14. Kingmaker part II

Seven weeks had passed since their victory in Claywood. Lazlo watched as his men stacked the bags of sand into a knee-high wall, occasionally taking a peek at the piece of paper in his hand. Way in front of them, another group of soldiers were preparing spiked barricades for the main road.

They had received the news the day before. The Ylisseans finally started marching, led by the Exalt himself, just as Robin predicted. The prince sighed. In three weeks, the land of Claywood would lay witness to yet another battle, even bloodier than the last. This time, they would be prepared.

"It's too wide." Robin's shout caught his attention. Lazlo turned around and made way towards the tactician. "Remember, the Exalt will be here this time. Which means there'll be more fliers. No use building walls if they can still pick on us from miles high. Make 'em narrower, just enough for two ranks."

"Somebody's excited today," Lazlo said as he approached the tactician. Robin turned around and nodded.

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm always excited. Especially when we'll be playing on homeground. With my rules."

Lazlo sighed. "Can you give me some of that confidence? I'm barely able to stand right now."

"Sure, but you might want to refrain from saying that in front of the men. No soldier want to hear their captain got the cold feet before he even see the enemies."

"Hey, I'm just trying to be realistic here. We've won the last battle, but that because they didn't know we were coming. Our bet paid off, but until when? From what I heard, the army marching here's twice the size of the last one. And with the Exalt with them, they'll be more cautious than ever."

It was Robin's turn to let out a sigh. "After all this time, you still doubt me?" He slung his arm over Lazlo's neck and pulled him closer. "I'm a tactician, not a gambler. The reason we used the bullhorn last time 'cause it was the only one that would work. Annsell's different than his generals. Why do you think I'm here with you guys getting ready this time?"

Lazlo chuckled at hearing his friend's response. He let out a relieved sigh. "I don't know how you do it, but I really believe you for a moment there. Those are all bull, right?"

A sly grin crept onto the tactician's face. "Of course. It's a war. Something will go wrong no matter how much planning you made. But one thing's for sure, the war will end with this battle. That, I can promise you."

"That's… good to hear, I guess. The people of Plegia had been suffering for so long with the hostilities. If we lose, at least there'll be no more fighting…"

Robin tightened his hook around the prince's neck. "Come on, nothing's set in stone yet. For all we know, he's coming here to discuss the terms for a truce or something."

"Yes, because you march with ten thousand men to talk about peace."

"It could happen."

Both men looked at each other and started laughing.

"After ten years, Plegians deserve a win. And I'll give it to them, no matter what." Lazlo looked at the group of soldiers preparing another barricade at the entrance of the castle.

* * *

"Brethren!" Gangrel raised his hands in front of the crowds. "The day we've been waiting for is finally upon us. The tyrant Annsell had come to meet us, here in our own home. Too long had our people suffered just because we refused to accept their so-called Divine Dragon. Too much have we lost from his so-called rightful calling. We've seen Greenedge burnt to ashes, fathers and sons killed without mercy, children taken from their rightful home, never to be seen again. And not too long ago, they even robbed us of our beloved brother, Lord Jurdan of Claywood."

His last sentence granted him cheers from the warriors of the late king. He waited for a moment, as if letting them pour out their grief and rage to the open before raising his hands once more.

"But cry not, brethren, for the dastard himself had come to receive his rightful retribution. This is my promise to you, sons and daughters of Plegia, the coward Annsell will pay dearly for what he had done. And to you, cousins from Claywood, lend me your strength. Join me and avenge your lord and brother, Jurdan of Claywood."

"Gangrel! Gangrel! Gangrel! Gangrel!"

The king couldn't help but smile as he watched the chanting crowds. The shouts echoed well through the night.

* * *

Robin knocked on the door and waited, staring straight at the wooden slab before him. A few moments later, the door sprung open and revealed a red-headed man on the other side.

"What do you want?"

"Excellent speech, milord." Gangrel huffed at Robin's compliment. "There's something I'd like to talk with you. Mind if I come in?"

"You've gone over the tactics, and everyone already agreed with the decided teams. There's nothing to talk anymore."

"Oh, but I insist." Robin pushed the king to the side and stepped into the chamber. He went on to the chair at one end of the room. Following the tactician's footsteps, Gangrel clicked his tongue and closed the door shut. He sat on the edge of his bed and stared at the teenager in silence.

"Regarding our next battle with the Ylisseans, I would really appreciate it if you would stay behind and leave the Exalt to Lazlo and me."

Gangrel rose to his feet and lunged at the mercenary. He grabbed the neck of Robin's cloak and pulled him up. "That better be a joke, or I'll have both of your heads on display along with Annsell's."

"Do I look like I'm joking to you?"

Gangrel clicked his tongue and shoved Robin onto his seat. The tactician straightened his back and watched the king paced around the room.

"Think about this past year. How much we've done to come this far. Plegia had finally fall into your hand. Don't you think it would be a waste to get all this, just to end up like Lord Jurdan the next day?"

Gangrel huffed at Robin's question. He planted himself back on the bed. "I want him dead. Really dead. None of those disappearing act you guys like to pull."

* * *

Robin clicked his tongue as he watched the Ylissean troops moved into position under the scorching desert sun. The enemies had decided to forgo the defensive tactic of the last battle, focusing on offensive and attrition instead. Desert sand rose like smoke as the army, mostly foot-soldiers and rangers, moved into position. By the time they finished, twenty five squares had formed on the barren land in front of him, each looked to have an equal number and types of soldiers. Behind them, winged steeds jumped up and down making speckles of dust rose upwards.

Robin looked down from the fort, to the Plegians he had set up. The air stood still for a moment. Nobody seemed to move a muscle, waiting for the dust to settle. The tactician cocked his head backwards when a white dot shot to the sky from behind the enemies' rank.

A falcon knight hovered halfway between the two armies. Robin had to cover his face when the sharp rays of the sun from behind the woman pierced his eyes. She opened a scroll and read it.

"Plegians," she started. "Why? Why do you refuse to accept the Divine Dragon's blessing, and chose to stay in the darkness? Can't you see? Just as its namesake, Grima can only bring death and destruction upon this world. Open your eyes and see for yourself, your land is nothing but barren soil, and your people starving even now. You even brought war to this land by refusing Naga's kind embrace. Friends, join us. And let us help you out of this madness. All you have to do, is put down your weapons and submit to us. Of course-"

"Shoot her." Robin turned around to face the man that gave the order. Gangrel was glaring daggers at her. "I said, shoot her off my sky." He shifted his gaze to the tactician when no one seemed to do anything.

"We should at least hear their demand," the tactician said.

"What's the point? Everyone knows how today's gonna end. No use beating around the bush anymore. Shoot her."

Robin looked around at his comrades around him. Mustafa's eyes were closed shut, not even bother addressing him. Lazlo was still staring at the woman in the sky. And Aversa only smiled beside the Plegian king.

"Then let's finish this. Tell the man to get ready."

All the generals nodded and started ordering their second-in-command.

* * *

An archer brought an arrow to his bow and tugged at the string. The man touched the corner of his eyes to the arrow's base, moving his whole body ever so slightly. The soldier stayed like that for a moment before releasing his grip.

Robin watched as the arrow left the bow and darted upwards. He closed his eyes when it entered the sun's light. The falcon knight was 'descending' straight down when he reopened his eyes.

And the second battle of Claywood begun.

* * *

Robin parried a sword strike from an Ylissean soldier. The look on his opponent's eyes when he dealt the killing blow made the tactician let out a bitter smile.  _And another wasteful death. How can you give your all when you don't even believe in your cause?"_

The mercenary took a backstep when the tip of a spear came rushing in front of him. He tucked his left arm into his body and rammed the lancer with his shield, staggering the Ylissean and sending him back a few steps. Robin lunged forward and gave a heavy kick on the man's side. A faint crack made its way into the brunette's ear, alongside a deafening scream. He planted his blade right on the soldier's heart, silencing him.

Finally getting a breather, the tactician eyed the battlefield. The Ylisseans had them surrounded, whittling on the Plegians' defense bit by bit, while their pegasus corps employed a hit and run tactic, picking on unsuspecting soldiers from the sky. This would be a one-sided battle if not for the Plegian's own wyvern riders and archer units giving support from high ground.

"Gah!"

A scream made the mercenary turned his head to the right. A Plegian soldier was kneeling on the ground a good twenty paces from him. Lazlo's retainer was pressing his thigh while staring straight at an Ylissean mage in front of him.

Robin clicked his tongue and rushed to the two, sword at the ready. Just as the tomewielder started priming her attack, he ran his sword through her back. A high-pitched scream knocked on his eardrums as the body went limp.

Robin kicked the body off his sword and tossed the kneeling man a vulnerary. He rushed behind the soldier and slammed his shield at a swordsman's wrist. His new opponent writhed as his sword fell out of his hand before the mercenary finished him with a stab to the gut.

"Can you stand?" The tactician sheathed his sword and pulled the man's arm over his shoulder, not even bother waiting for an answer.

"Thank you. But you need not worry about me. As the tactician, shouldn't you be beside King Gangrel? Prince Lazlo at the very least." The soldier rested his body on Robin's and poured the vulnerary on his burnt thigh.

"I don't like wasting resources. And those two can take care of themselves. Come on." The mercenary raised his shield and dragged the Plegian towards one of the mounds, making sure no enemy attack or friendly fire came their way.

They barely walked twenty paces when two Ylisseans barred their way. Robin clicked his tongue and dropped the man beside him. Ignoring the plea from Lazlo's retainer, he took his sword out and tucked his shield close to him, never breaking his gaze from the enemies.

The lancer lunged forward, aiming his lance at the Plegian on the ground. Robin took a sidestep and parried the thrust with his shield, leaving the soldier wide open. Clenching his fist, the tactician focused all his energy on his forearm and smashed his shield to the man's face. Just as the lancer stumbled backwards, Robin shifted his gaze at the swordsman coming from the left.

The tactician jerked his body sideways and readied his shield. Robin cringed as a loud clang pierced his eardrums when his shield met the man's sharp edge. The impact crawled from his arm to his gritted teeth, trembled them so much he could've sworn some were falling down. He pushed the flinched Ylissean with his shield and planted a kick to his knee.

A satisfying pop made way to Robin's ears.

The swordsman felled to the ground. Clenching his knee, he wailed on the Plegian's barbaric way. Robin huffed and pushed his sword through the man's torso.

A loud sound roared from above, followed by a golden light snaking down from the sky. Robin to find the lancer shivered in his place and fell head-first to the ground, revealing Lazlo behind him.

"You two alright?" the prince asked.

The tactician nodded. He sheathed his sword and reached for the prince's retainer.

"Ten clicks north." Lazlo approached the tactician and put the man's other arm over his shoulder.

Robin looked at the direction his friend gave. Amidst the cloud of dust, bloodied corpses, and band of soldiers, a blue light stood out to him. More accurately, a man enveloped in blue light, parrying and thrusting with his sword.  _The Exalt._

* * *

The battle was ending. Plegians sprung out of their fort, making sure the enemies never had the chance at the castle. Ylisseans stormed the outer circle of the building, meeting their hosts halfway, so close, and yet so far from their target. The smell of blood plagued the air, denser than a butcher's house. Amidst the clanking steel and the roaring thunder and the crackling fire, the sound in one spot, where three lights moved closer and farther away, rang clearer than others. The clang of steel pierced the air when the blue and the two red ones clashed.

Robin panted as he watched Lazlo traded blows with the Exalt, blurs of blue and red entered and exited his vision. The prince was slowing down, his red aura started fading. Robin knew what he had to do.

Taking a deep breath, the tactician focused his sight on Annsell, gathering all of his thoughts, his energy,  _his rage_  in his mind. The presence of another power seeped through his bones once more, and his own red aura burst out of him again, pulsating with a steady beat, dyeing the air crimson.

"Switch!"

He lunged forward, shield raised, as the prince leapt backwards, switching their places. A loud clank echoed when the mercenary's shield met the Exalt's blade. Robin raised a horizontal slash, which Annsell blocked. The older man clenched his sword with both hands and pushed forward. Robin stayed his ground through gritted teeth. Their gazes met each other from behind the locked blades.

"That's quite the unique ability you two got there," Annsell said. "Nobody had lasted this long in front of the Aether."

Robin raised his brows at hearing the blonde's words. He clicked his tongue when his knees started limping and his aura started fading. Again. The tactician pushed his sword with all his might and took a backstep.  _Aether._

Robin stared at the Exalt as Lazlo moved beside him.

"You alright?" The tactician only nodded at the prince's question, eyes still on the man before them.

"I've heard stories." Annsell lowered his sword. "The Children of Grima were said to have unlimited energy. Apparently they could just… conjure some power whenever they want, making them exceptional fighters. Not at all different from you two."

Robin smirked at the Exalt's words. "Then what about you? You've been fighting longer than us today. Where does  _your_  unlimited power come from I wonder?"

Annsell bit his lower lip at the tactician's question. His eyes widened Robin could swear they would pop out of his face at any moment. He raised his swords at the Plegians.

"Are you mocking me, boy? This is a blessing from Naga herself, just for the purpose of ridding you infidels out of this earth. As a descendant of the Hero King, it is my duty to rid those that would wreak havoc and destruction."

"Really now? From where I'm standing, these are all caused by you."

"That's because you're not seeing the big picture. These are just collateral. The ones you two would do will be far greater than this. This whole world will fall into chaos if you're allowed to live."

With that, the Ylissean's blue aura went stronger. He raised his sword and leapt towards the Plegians.

Robin and Lazlo jumped to the sides, avoiding the Exalt's blade. The tactician countered with a thrust. Annsell parried the strike and took a backstep. He corrected his stance and bent his knee, ready to pounce, when the prince came from the side with his blade glowing. The Exalt took another step back and avoided the attack. Lazlo chained his thrust with a side slash, which Annsell blocked.

A loud voice roared as a bright light burst out of the Levin sword.

Cloud of dust rose to the air, and the Ylissean was pushed farther back from the impact. Not one to waste a chance, Robin rushed in once more, head lowered behind his shield. His eyes went wild, hunting for the target, when he spotted a thin blue light coming straight for him. The Plegian parried the thrust and countered with a slash. He huffed when it failed to connect.

"Ugh!"

Robin leapt backwards when he heard the Exalt's grunt. Amidst the settling dust, the blue light stood still, while a red one stuck close to its left. His lips curled upwards at the new development.

He closed in once more.

Robin started with a thrust, aiming it right at the Exalt. Annsell grunted as he jumped out of the way. Spots of red dripped onto the ground from the cut on his thigh. The mercenary shifted his gaze from the man's wound to his eyes. The air stood still as they stared at each other for a moment.

A moment long enough for Lazlo to plant his sword on the Ylissean's torso.

Annsell gritted his teeth and spat blood.

"Damn you Plegians!" He raised his sword, moving it towards the prince right before him.

Robin moved in and smashed his shield right at the man's wrist, before thrusting his own sword on the Exalt's gut.

"Milord, no!" Two soldiers came for them from the Ylissean side.

Robin kicked the limp body at the end of his sword and turned to face Lazlo. "We're done."

The duo started retreating to their side.

* * *

A week had passed since Robin and Lazlo landed the killing blows on the Exalt. Now, the two armies found themselves at a stalemate once more, staring at each other from two ends of the sea of rotting bodies.

"What're they waiting for? We've cut their head, why aren't they retreating?" Lazlo said as he watched the Ylisseans from the top of the castle.

"Looks to me like they're waiting," Robin said, also looking at the Ylisseans. "Only two things will happen when you take down the head of an army. Either they'll shoot straight for us with revenge, or they'll just stalled like snake losing its, well, head."

"I see-" Lazlo blinked his eyes a few times and grabbed the tactician by the shoulder. "If that's true, than what we did…"

"Yep." Robin turned to face the prince and flashed him a smile. "It's all just a big bet. The chips are laid, and now we wait.  _Their_  next order will dictate how this battle will end. How lucky do you feel?"

The tactician smirked when Lazlo's mouth went agape at his statement. He tapped the prince's shoulder and said, "I'm gonna get some sleep. You should get some rest too, just in case."

He made his way towards one of the doors. "Tell me if anything changes, no matter how small," he said to one of the guards standing nearby.

The soldier just nodded and gave him a salute.

* * *

On the tenth day after the battle, the change they had been waiting finally showed its face. A blonde woman riding a pegasus.

Robin, along with Lazlo and the other generals stared at the winged steed, hovering halfway between the two armies.

"Plegians, Ylissean brethren," the rider said. "My name is Phila, captain of the pegasus knight corps, serving under the newly crowned Exalt, Milady Emmeryn the Just. With the fell of our previous leader, Milord Annsell the Brave, it is with heavy heart to say that Plegia had emerged victorious in this war. Hence, it is Milady's belief that there is no meaning to further this conflict anymore. The soldiers of Ylisse are to march out of Plegian soil immediately. And to King Gangrel of Plegia, should you be willing, Ylisse is more than happy to assist you in rebuilding your country."

Gangrel clicked his tongue. He raised his sword and unleashed a lightning bolt right in front of the woman.

"We don't need your coins, or anything else you're offering. Take your corpses and get out of my country."

"Very well, then. Despite all that happened, it is Milady's hope that Plegia and Ylisse would be able to set aside our differences and get back to being good neighbors like the times of old once more." Phila gave the Plegians a salute and started flying back towards her comrades.

"That's it? We did it then?" Lazlo asked. "Plegia's finally free?"

Robin just smiled at the prince. He looked around at the faces present. Wilhelmina was on the verge of tears. Mustafa was nodding at him, his lips curled upwards ever so slightly. And a loud cheer rose to the air, hailing for King Gangrel and Prince Lazlo.

After ten years, Plegia finally won her freedom back. It was time for a celebration.

Robin followed the crowd, now dragging their king and prince, to the entrance. He stopped and turned around to have one last look at the battlefield, at the retreating army, and the bearer of the good news. Phila seemed to be giving orders at her comrades on the ground. The tactician just smiled at the blonde knight hovering on her pegasus.

_Long live the queen._


	15. A Storm Brewing

After telling the royal siblings about his connection with the Mad King, Robin again found himself sitting on the small stairs fronting the center garden of Yllistol Castle. For some reason, he was quite fond of the view. Basking under the silvery glitter of the moon, the way the flowers moved rhythmically whenever the soft wind blew through always cleared his mind.

The tactician broke out of his thought when he heard footsteps coming his way. He turned around to see Chrom walking through the corridor. The prince took his spot beside him.

"So, am I fired? Or should I start thinking ways to break metal bars and scale walls?" Robin said, resting his chin on his palms.

"Neither."

The Plegian raised his head and looked at the blunette.

"That's awfully nice of you. Shouldn't you at least challenge me to a duel or something? You know, to avenge your father's death or whatever."

Chrom chuckled at the mercenary's response.

"It's hard mourning a father you barely remember. My mother died when Lissa was very little, and since my father was apparently a war-mongering tyrant, all we ever had was Emm. She was both to us. Even after she ascended to the throne, she never let her duties get in the way. I'm telling you Robin, I'd do anything if it's for Emm."

"That is good to know. Do you care enough to do it now?"

A third voice startled both men. They raised their heads to see the visitor. Marth was standing before them, sword in hand.

"What're you doing here? How did you get in?" Chrom reached for his blade.

"Peace friends. I'm not here to fight. And as for the how, there's a hole behind the bush over there. Just enough for a man to go through." The masked man pointed to a fairly thick bush at the edge of the wall.

"Wh- how did you know about the hole?" For some reason, Chrom's voice trembled as he asked the question.

Robin turned to face his friend. He could've sworn Chrom was tensing beside him.

"I'm here to warn you, the castle will be under attack tonight."

Robin and Chrom looked at each other with a frown on their faces.

"And why should we believe you?" The tactician stared at the eyes behind the mask. "A stranger, that helped us one day, and opposed us the next. Also, sneaking into someone's house in the middle of the night is probably not the best way to gain trust."

"I could ask the same thing about you, Sir Robin. A Plegian, helping the Exalted family at the brink of a new war. Isn't that the definition of suspicious?"

Robin couldn't help but smile at the other blue-head's response.

"And as for the why, would you believe me if I said I'm from the future?"

As he finished his sentence, Marth turned around and swung his sword, cutting an arrow just as it entered his range. He pulled out a knife and launched it at a nearby tree. A faint gasp was heard, and a man fell out of it.

"What about the other one?" Robin pointed at the assassin coming their way.

"Wha-" Marth barely lifted his sword when Chrom pushed him out of the enemy's blade and parried it with the falchion, before finishing him with a thrust to the torso.

Robin shifted his gaze at the thing that fell off when the younger man met the ground. He went to pick the butterfly mask and made his way back to the swordsman.

"So tell me, if you really are from the future, of all the time you could've land, why does a  _young lady_ like you choose this godforsaken age when a mad man is a king, and corpses run around like a day in the market?" The tactician kneeled, lowering his eyes to her level. "My, what lovely eyes you have." He smirked as the young woman turned her face away, covering her face with her hand.

Marth reached for the palm that Chrom gestured her at her and let the prince pulled her up. She looked at Robin, "believe me, because of certain… chain of events, my time is far worse than this. And it all started tonight, when a band of Plegian assassins managed to murder the Exalt of my time."

Chrom went wide-eyed at the alleged time-traveller's words. "Em-"

"Throne room, now. I'll get the others."

Chrom and Marth nodded at Robin's instruction and darted towards the destination.

* * *

"Kill off the lights," Robin said as he entered the throne room, Kellam and Lon'qu close behind. All the eyes in the room looked at the Sheperds walking through the entrance. Chrom sighed at the sight of the tactician and his comrades.

"Thank Naga you're finally here. I've already told them about the situation, and Marth would help as well. So what's the plan?"

"First, we need to get her out of here." The mercenary pointed at the Exalt.

"Excuse me, Sir Robin," Marth said. "Isn't that too risky? What if they found her when she stepped out of the room? Shouldn't we just stays here and blocked the entrance? I think it would be easier for us."

The tactician sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"You see, this is why people hire me. Look around." The brunette raised his hands and gestured at the room. "Glass windows and rafters on the ceiling, balconies on the sides? This room is a killbox. It's the last place you want to be in case of attacks."

Ignoring the reaction from the woman, Robin made way towards Emmeryn, now hugging her sister. "Milady, I'm very sorry to be so direct, but would you take off your robe for me?" The blondes gasped at his request, and the Plegian just smirked when he saw Phila reached for her sword. "You can borrow mine if you want." He took off his cloak and tossed it to Lissa.

"Lon'qu, up." The tactician looked at the swordsman and gestured to one of the balcony with his head. "Vaike, go with him. Kellam, side door." He took the green robe Emmeryn handed to him and walked towards the leader of the pegasus knights.

"Commander Phila, you  _are_ well-versed in the art of staves as well as steels, I presumed?" He gestured the clothing in his hand towards her.

Phila just stared at the Plegian for a few seconds before finally shifting her sight to the Exalt. Emmeryn let out a smile and nodded. The knight reverted her gaze back to Robin, huffed, and took the robe from him.

The tactician smiled and turned around once more. "Frederick, Lissa, take the Exalt and go to the armory. Lock the door, and bar the entrance. Don't open for  _anyone_ except for Chrom."

The two royals and the great knight nodded at the instruction and made way for the door. Robin looked at the other Sheperds in the room. "Everyone else, scatter."

Waiting was not the easiest thing to do. Especially in the dark, on the wrong end of an assault. Robin hid himself behind one of the main pillars. His eyes went wild across the room, hunting for those out of the ordinaries. And finally, he caught the glimpse of something shiny outside the main entrance. The mercenary looked at the prince, hiding behind another pillar next to his, and nodded. He tightened his grip on his sword.

A loud bang crashed the stillness of the night, followed by flakes of glass rained from above. Another fight had started for the Sheperds.

* * *

Lazlo removed his forearm from over his eyes. He looked at his surroundings, sizing his room for a moment, using only the red light creeping through the curtain as his guide. Wilhelmina's soft, controlled breathing entered his ears. He sat up and looked at his wife sleeping beside him, and smiled.

Her face was the definition of peace, a stark contrast from yesterday. Yesterday, when he told her how he finally found Robin after years of searching, now working for the enemy, her shoulders drooped and tears started pooling at the corner of her eyes. All he had wanted to do then was to take her into his arm, and told her it was all a ruse. That it was another one of the man's plans to deceive the Ylisseans and get them to trust him. And yet he couldn't. He of all people knew full well of the fact. Robin had deflected. And he'd have to cut the tactician down the next time they met. The man he had called his friend for so long. Robin, his first real friend.

Covering Wilhelmina with a blanket, the prince got out of bed and put on his clothes.

* * *

"Well, well. If it ain't the young lord himself."

A big man, with an equally big scar over his right eye greeted Lazlo on his way to the stable. The prince turned to face the man, grinning widely at him with both arms folded over his chest. Behind him, a few fighters were carrying some wooden crates and putting them into a cart, while some others sparred with each other.

"General Gatras," Lazlo said, walking towards the man. "Are you and your men going somewhere?"

"Hmm? Ah, yes. Your father had asked us to go patrol the border. Something 'bout Ylissean wingsies setting up camp there or whatever."

The prince bit his lower lip. His muscles twitched at the mention of the king.

"Is that… really necessary? Aren't they just setting camp on their side only? I'm pretty sure it's routine for their pegasus knights to do scheduled patrol of their borders. With both countries how they are now, I don't think there's a reason for us to go there and add to the tension as well."

"Wish I could answer ya'. But it is the king's order. Plus, he paid us good money to go there."

"I… see. Then please don't cause anymore further hostilities between us."

"We'll try. But that's not entirely on us. Surely ya' don't expect us to sit and watch if they decide they don't like what they're seeing."

Lazlo bit his lip once more as the man started laughing. He turned around and made his way for his original destination. The man's voice entered his ears, asking if the preparation had finished and if it was time for departure.

* * *

Robin dragged his feet into his room, slamming the door behind him. Traces of red started to form on the black sky. The slight hint of light bled in through the window, letting him to see the interior just enough not to stumble. The mercenary sighed and hung his cloak on a chair beside his bed. With his arms arranged neatly at one corner of the room, he took off his boots and set them at the left corner of the bed and dived headfirst onto the mattress.

"I should charge them extra for stuff after midnight."

* * *

A dream. That was the only thing Robin could think of. He was standing in the middle of the throne room. The balconies on the walls were no more, only traces of bricks could be seen if one looked closely. The pillars in the center of the room, collapsed, lied broken on the floor, now littered with rubbles and colored glasses. He looked upwards, only to found blackness staring back at him from beyond the opened ceiling.

The sound of footsteps came knocking on his eardrums. He switched his sight at the massive hole on the wall, where the entrance used to be. Marth was there, with several others. Standing beside her was another young woman, whom twintails really reminded him of Severa, if her face was rounder, and her hair was black instead of brown. For some reason, they seemed mad. Really mad. Marth pointed her sword at him. Her blue eyes practically glowed. Although, that might be because of the blue aura coming out of her body, which reminded him of Chrom's father.

The blunette rushed towards him, swords at the ready.

Robin raised his left arm, trying to shield himself from the sudden attack. The attack that never came.

The mercenary lowered his arm to find himself now standing in a field. A field of swords. Every direction he turned, swords, blades that shone brilliantly, as if never even seen a battle littered the ground. Some came complete with shields resting against them. Some had other weapons paired close to them.

Not knowing his bearing, he picked a random direction and started walking. He walked for could have been hours, or days, he couldn't tell. It was a dream after all, he told himself. He walked until he spotted something in the distance. A silhouette of a man, standing on a small hill. Robin kept his pace, and walked some more.

Getting closer, the tactician finally got a glimpse of the man. It was  _himself_ , complete with the cloak and all, cradling a young girl, turning round and round, humming a tune he had never heard before. He just watched as the  _Robin_  in front of him rocked the sleeping girl in his arm with the gentleness he never knew he had.

A smile crept onto the Plegian's face, and he was about to leave when a knocking sound invaded the space. He looked to the other him and the girl, who seemed oblivious to the sound. That was when a white light blinded him.

* * *

Robin rubbed his eyes, opening them ever so slightly. He winced and shut them off when a bright light pierced his eyeballs. Turning away from the source, the tactician gradually parted his eyelids once more. He looked around at his room and sighed when he finally realized what had awakened him up. The door. More specifically, the loud noise from other side of the door.

The tactician got out of bed and made his way for the door. Frederick stood outside, his right hand balled into a fist, raised shoulder's high.

"Good morning to you. As milord's tactician, you are requested to be at the council room immediately."

"Can I get some breakfast before I go?"

"You are free to have your lunch  _after_ we decided what our course of action should be."

Robin only managed a small chuckle at the great knight's response. "Give me a minute to get ready."


	16. The Calm Before

Cordelia sighed. She stopped what she was doing and stared at the stack of tomes and the pile of staves next to her. She picked the book closest to her and ran her fingers on the marking on the cover.  _Fire_.

"Alright girls. One more round."

The redhead blinked when Severa's voiced reached her from outside the supply tent. She turned to its direction and found herself face-to-face with the tent wall. She didn't need to see beyond that to know what was happening. If the shouts from the knights and the sounds of faint explosion weren't enough, doing the same thing over and over everyday definitely did.  _Great, just great Cordy._

She returned her sight back to the tome in her hand. Sliding the thumb under the cover, she proceeded to open it but stopped midway. She placed the book back on the stack, reached for a staff and closed her eyes.

Raising both hands, Cordelia focused her thought. A minty smell crept inside her nose as the temperature in the tent went down. She could feel the healing magic moved from her right hand holding the staff to the left one. The soothing sensation shifted from her hand to her shoulder, then to her chest, then stopped midway.

Cordelia opened her eyes and sighed once more. She placed the staff in its stack when the tent's flap opened.

"You done?"

She turned around to find Severa's head poking inside from the opening. A frown made its way on her face when the twintails started sniffing.

Severa smirked.

"Someone's been doing something she's not supposed to."

"Sh-shut up." The redhead's face turned to match her hair at her sister's remark. "I was just checking if it works or not."

"And I  _totally_ believe you. So, you done?" Cordelia pouted when Severa's smirk wouldn't leave her face. "Don't give me that. Tell you what. Three days rest should be enough. Let's go grab something and I'll see your training afterwards."

And just like that, Cordelia allowed her lips to curl upwards.

* * *

"So? Any progress?"

Cordelia turned her head at Severa as they walked. "The usual, I guess." She sighed. "I don't get it. If the seal's supposed to help us with our magical capacity, then shouldn't I use it  _before_ my training?"

Severa just chuckled at her question. "Baby steps, little sister. Baby steps." She patted the redhead, making the pegasus knight huffed in frustration. She then brought her hand to her mouth and cleared her throat.

"First of all, as the proud members of Ylisse's Pegasus Corp, one must learn to identify one's own strengths, and most importantly, weaknesses."

Cordelia raised her eyebrow at Severa's sudden change of tone.  _There she goes again_.

"Just like a castle is not built in one day, one must know that…"

The knight had heard the speech hundreds of times by now. The first few were from Commander Phila when she just enlisted. And the rest were from the talking twintails whenever she brought this topic up. At least she could just ignore Severa for a few moments until she stopped.

Cordelia took a glance around her as they walked to the mess tent at the end of the encampment. A couple of spears stuck horizontally on some training dummies, most with burnt marks on them. Some still had small embers flickering on the edge. Surrounded by the grunts from the still training soldiers, glances from the ones resting, and a very chatty sister, the redhead let her mind wandered out. She went all over the place, from Severa's home in Western Ylisse to the blue sky above Ylisstol to the fair her own parents used to take her a long time ago. She let her mind lingered anywhere she could think of, occasionally saying something akin to "yes" or "sure" or "of course" to the black-haired woman.

It didn't take long for her to find herself thinking about the blue-haired prince, this time to when he stumbled into her life one morning five years ago. After months of trying, she had finally been accepted to the corp. Severa was teaching her and Sumia the basics of the javelin. Cordelia sighed as she remembered how she almost killed the prince with her not-so-perfect aim. One of the few she had sworn to protect.

"And that's how babies are born."

"Mmhm. I know th- excuse me?" Cordelia turned to face the dark flier with a frown on her face.

_Of course_ she was smirking.

"You didn't even listen to me." The pegasus knight opened her mouth for a chance to defend herself when Severa cut her. "Never mind. We're here. What do you wanna eat?"

"Something light," she said as they entered the tent.

* * *

The sister were having their meal at one corner at the corner of the tent a voiced caught their attention.

"Hey, if it isn't Little Lady Genius and her guardian."

Cordelia looked away from her plate when three other pegasus knights joined them.

"Come on, girls. How many times have I told you to stop teasing her? She's delicate."

"Thousands by now." Eirin, their team's sub-leader took a seat besides the twintails, while the other two sandwiched the redhead. "But you see Sev, it's not exactly convincing when  _you're_ the one tormenting her every time we're awake."

"What? I would  _never_ ," Severa said, needlessly emphasizing the last word. "You love me, right Cordy?"

Cordelia just smiled, making her sister gasped at the response.

"See how much she wants to strangle you right now? Actually, I'm surprised you're still alive. What do you say, Cordy?" Eirin looked straight at her. "You just take some hex or something and put it on her when she sleeps, and I'll finish the job the next day. You can be my co-captain when she's gone."

"I'm in."

"Me too."

Cordelia stifled laughter when the two on her sides answered.

"Ugh. Can't believe you turned her against me. You guys are so court-martialed when we get back. And that includes you, Cordy." Severa pointed her fork at the redhead.

"Speaking of getting back," their team's new member, Valeria, spoke. "You remember that cute knight I've been seeing? I can ask him to find four other guys, and we can go out together. What do you say? It'll be good to get this past few weeks out of our head."

"Forget it, blondie." Meg hooked her arm around Cordelia's neck and pulled her closer. "Cordy's not interested in your run-of-the-mill guys. She's aiming for royalty."

"The prince? Really?" Valeria frowned.

The redhead sighed when she and the other three started laughing.

"I think it's cute. If you're gonna dream, make it big." Eirin snickered. "Anyway, I heard he got a new guy into his so-called Sheperds. A Plegian."

"Oh, I remember him. He's kinda cute too."

"Uh-huh. Don't care. Guess who I saw walking with him and laughing at his jokes, enjoying herself at the festival right before we got dumped here?" She turned her head slowly to face Severa as she asked the question.

Cordelia's eyes moved from her friends to the bracelet on Severa's wrist at hearing the words. It was her turn to smirk when her sister's jaw began to drop.

* * *

"Easy now. Just try to stay like that for as long as you can."

Cordelia turned her head to give Severa her "I'm trying" look, but failed miserably when she had to alternate between her sister and the fireball in her hands.

"You're losing it."

"Huh?"

The fireball she  _had_ in her hands.

The redhead huffed and dropped herself on the grass, looking upwards. Surrounded by thick forest, the blue sky seemed small to her. And yet, how she wished she could just ditch her training and go up there, where she knew she wouldn't lose to anyone, or anything for that matter. Cordelia raised her hand, aiming for the visible part, as if she could reach it if she extended high enough. She broke out of her reverie when her hand actually grabbed something.

_Severa's hand_.

"That's enough 'Cordy moment' for today. Oh, stop with that look, will you?"

Corelia nodded at the older woman's smile. She stood up and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and relaxed. Remembering her training, the knight imagined a fire forming in the pit of her stomach, expanding, moving through every fiber in her body. It flowed, to her chest, to her shoulder, until finally she felt the warmth on her fingertips. She raised both hands, keeping them in front of her chest. A fire the size of an egg started forming between her palms.

"That's it. That's good. Don't do anything. Just breathe, and focus on the fire. Listen to its beats, feels the pulse." Severa's voice seemed moved farther away as she did what was instructed. "I'm not here right now, okay?"

Cordelia took another deep breath when she felt pressures on both her shoulders. She just followed when they tugged and turned her body all the way to the right.

"Your target's about fifty yards in front of you. Don't look at it, don't even think about it. Just know that it's there."

Cordelia took another deep breath. And another one. And then another one, until she finally raised her head. She looked straight at the knife stuck on the bark of a dead tree and exhaled slowly. She aimed her hands and pushed, feeling the warmth leaving her.

The next thing she remembered was Severa's clapping and the burnt mark she made on the stump. Still not enough to light it on fire, but made her lips curled upwards nonetheless.

"See, that wasn't too bad. I'm telling you, just keep at it like this, and you'll nail it by the end of the week. Who knows, maybe I'll talk to the commander about that promotion when we get back. I  _do_ have the power to do that now you know."

Cordelia chuckled at Severa's last sentence. Which made Severa smile, and turned into a full-blown laughter for both sisters.

They giggled for a few minutes when the redhead decided she finally had enough. She was wiping the tears from her eyes when she noticed Severa was watching the sky.

"Seems like it's gonna rain later. We should go back. I still have that captains briefing I got to attend."

"You go first. I wanna try a few more shots today."

Cordelia smiled as Severa raised her brows at the response.

"Alright. Just don't push yourself too hard, okay? Can't have my baby sister faints a second time this week, or mom will want my head." The dark flier ruffled the knight's hair as she spoke. She stopped and moved towards her pegasus after a few protests from the redhead.

Cordelia watched as her sister took off on her steed. "You're like, just a month older than me." She sighed and shook her head lightly as she set her sight back towards the dagger stuck on the tree.


	17. Tempest part I

Somewhere in the mountainside in Eastern Ylisse, the Sheperds were marching towards a remote fort at the far end of the country. After the failed assassination attempt, it was decided that the Exalt would take refuge at said fort until the tension between both countries could be resolved.

Robin stared at their newest additions, occasionally tugging on the leather reign in his hands so that his cart won't go out of control.

Gaius, one of the thieves from the night that Chrom somehow managed to convince into joining them seemed at home with the Sheperds. A day in the barrack and he'd already nicknamed every single one of them. The thief chatted with Ricken and Kellam for the whole journey, begged Lissa for more of her special sweets, or so he said, much to Maribelle's annoyance.

Separated by Phila and Frederick, a rabbit shapeshifter,  _a taguel_ , walked close to the royal convoy. Her eyes set straight on Emmeryn. Panne came to their aid that night to settle some unpaid debt to the Exalt, she claimed. She practically pushed her way into the Sheperds, much to Robin's dismay.

"Still skeptical about the new recruits?" Chrom's voice broke his attention. The young lord moved alongside the cart on his own horse. "You've been staring at those two since before the march."

"Not just them." Robin's gaze shifted towards a middle-aged man walking in front of the royal convoy. "I don't recognize him."

"Hierarch Rozin? He came to the castle about four months before you. One of my father's closest friends recommended him to us. I don't think we should worry about him."

Robin chuckled. "You have to forgive me,  _milord_. My line of job isn't exactly based on mutual trust." Robin flashed Chrom a perfect smile, which the prince matched.

The tactician looked around a few moments, before setting his sight back on the new members.  _Mountain walls on one side, bottomless pit on the other. This gonna be good._

* * *

"And that is all for team eight."

Severa watched the falcon knight took her seat. There would be another two captains before her. Bored, she looked at the map on the table at the center of the tent. Wooden soldiers scattered on the areas marked with red ink.

The next woman stood up and Severa covered her mouth as she yawned, when a loud boom echoed through the tent, followed by young women's scream right after.

The tent's opening flapped open and Eirin poked her head.

"Plegians. We're under attack."

The commander smashed her fist on the table, the soldiers moved out of their zones. Some even went under the table. "Captains, get to your team. Defending the border is of the utmost importance."

"Yes, ma'am."

Severa followed Eirin to the rest of team eleven. She took an arcfire tome that Valeria handed to her and looked around.

"Where's Cordy?"

"Not here." Meg came with her and Severa's pegasi. "Stable's empty too."

Severa blinked her eyes. The inside of her mouth went sour and her tongue stilled. The grunts and screams around her felt so distance. Meg's statement squashed her like a fallen boulder. She took the leather reign that the woman handed her.

"You're still here. Good. I want you to support three and six in the east gate. Captain Severa?"

A tap on her shoulder brought the dark flier to the camp. She turned around to find one of her superiors staring at her.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Cordelia's not back yet…"

"That's unfortunate. We could really use her right now."

"Then I'll go and get h-"

"No. We don't know where she is, or if they'd gotten to her first."

Her words ran through Severa like a steel dagger. Cold. Sharp.

"Captain Severa? Did you hear what I said?"

"Y-yes. East gate. Right away, ma'am."

Severa could only look as the woman's back as she moved away from them. She flinched when she felt another tap on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Sev."  _Eirin_. "She's gonna be fine."

She turned to face the rest of her team, forced a smile. "Of course she's fine. She can out-fly anything coming her way. You heard the commander. Let's go. Ei, you and Meg back us up from the ground. Meg, you're with me. We'll go from the air."

* * *

Cordelia hummed as she checked and packed her things. She patted the fire tome and put it into her bag. She picked up the dagger next, now dyed black with soot and ash. Traces of red could still be seen from the charred hilt. Her mouth curled upwards as she wiped the blade, trying her best to get it the way it was. She huffed when a faint neigh made way to her ears and her 'friend' came sniffing her bag from over her shoulder.

"Hey, I was wondering when you'd come. Can't wait to get back?" Cordelia patted the pegasus with one hand, before remembering what she had been doing. She chuckled at the hand-shaped mark on the beast's neck. "Sorry," she said. "What the heck. You needed the bath anyway." She continued rubbing the pegasus's neck, and giggled when it sniffed and licked her face.

They played for a few minutes before a thunder stopped them.

"We really should go back now." Cordelia packed her bag and loaded it onto the beast.

They took to the sky and the rider squinted her eyes to see the orange spots in the direction of the camp. With a light tug on the reign, the pegasus started moving.

They had flown halfway before Cordelia finally realized what was happening at the camp. Her jaw dropped and her eyes bulged as she kicked the saddle and tugged the reign with stronger force than before.

The pegasus lifted its wings before letting out a cry and slanted to the left.

They were falling.

* * *

Cordelia woke up drenched, with a sharp pain on her right ankle. She wiped the rain off her face and looked around, trying her best to remember. Amidst the pouring rain and lightning, she recognized her friend's neighs. Short, erratic. She reached around in the dark until a soft, warm sensation contacted her skin. She bit her lip when she finally saw the pegasus.

Arrows stuck at the base of her left wings, now crushed under its own weight. The legs bended at all the wrong places, and few bones jutted out of its chest. Lying on the red-soaked earth, the pegasus neighed faintly.

"Hey, hey, it's going to be okay. You'll be fine." Cordelia cradled its head on her lap and rubbed its neck. She placed her hand on its chest and started focusing. Nothing.  _Damn it_. She focused again, digging deeper into herself, into her heart. They said good healers didn't even need a staff, only the love they had for life was enough. So she focused. And yet nothing. Nothing came out of her. Nothing she could do for her friend.  _Damnitdamnitdamnit_.

"I'm sorry, love. I'm…" She stopped when she saw her bag nearby. She took the leather pouch and emptied its content.

Some rations. A firetome. Two vulneraries. A knife.

Cordelia swallowed the lumps formed in her throat. She rubbed the pegasus's head gently as her other hand reached for the blade, shivering.

"Shh, it's okay. Everything's… going to be o…kay." She scratched the pegasus behind its ears and ran her fingers through its mane. She kissed its nose repeatedly, making sure her friend didn't turn away as she brought the knife towards its neck.

Cordelia gritted her teeth when her right hand met some resistance and the pegasus let out a soft cry. She pushed harder. She had to.

"I'm… sorry. I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry…"

She kissed the pegasus for the last time when it finally stopped moving.

Cordelia stood motionless as she watched the rain cleansed the blood from her hand. Then the realization hit her and she hurled the contents of her stomach away. Coughing, she grabbed a vulnerary and poured it on her ankle. She packed the rest of her things and moved. Using a javelin as cane, she hissed with each step.

* * *

Cordelia had been walking for who knew how long before she noticed three silhouettes roaming a clearing in the woods. The encampment would be just beyond the field. She could even see the fires if she squinted her eyes close enough. She curled herself behind a tree and looked around.

Two swordsmen and a mage. All three were limping and dragging their bodies around. Risens.

Cordelia took a deep breath and looked around some more. Those three seemed to be the only ones there.

The knight backed away and decided to move around the clearing. She took three steps when her makeshift cane stuck on soft ground. She fell.

"Damn it." Cordelia raised her head immediately and looked to the field.

The three risens had started moving.  _Towards her_.

"This isn't happening right now."

Moving behind the tree once more, she inhaled as much air as she could, trying to keep her heart from bursting out of her chest. She slid open her firetome with her left, and gripped the javelin with her right hand. She focused and took another deep breath.

The redhead leapt out and launched her javelin straight at the mage. The risen gagged as he grasped the pole stuck on his chest and disappeared into purple smoke.

With the swordsmen coming right at her, Cordelia primed her fire magic and launched it at the one in the back. She dropped her tome and reached for her knife.


	18. Tempest part II

Cordelia panted as she covered the gash on her thigh. She raised her head and looked at the pools of purple smoke thinning into thin air. Stretching her hand, she reached for her vulnerary and poured it over the wound. A sigh of relief made way out of her mouth when she felt the liquid seeped through to her bone and the gap started closing.

Her muscle twitched when the healing stopped. She shook the bottle a few times and tossed it away. It hit a nearby rock and shattered. Cordelia just stared at the shards, glimmered faintly. She sniffed and wiped her eyes with her forearm. She wiped again, hoping they would stop.

The camp would be at least another half-mile hike through the forest.

Cordelia laughed when the realization hit her. She planted her back on the ground again, laughing as tears made two warm trails down her face.

She was alone. She would  _die_  alone, when her knight-sisters were getting slaughtered, when  _her own sister_  needed her the most. She couldn't even get there to die with them even if she wanted to. What else could she do but laugh?

Cordelia lay there, watching the cloud thinned. Her tears had dried, and her laugh had stopped. Only the sound of her fingers tapping on the knife's hilt was present. It echoed long through the still night, faint, steady.

It finally stopped when a rustling from a nearby bush made way to Codelia's ears.

She grabbed her knife and raised her head. She winced as she pushed herself up, brandishing the blade in front of her. Her eyes went wild left and right, up and down, searching. Her heart pounded on her ribcage, and her knees clattered. A cold tingle crept up her spine, and cold sweat formed on her face.

Cordelia tightened the grip on her knife. She held her breath when the rustling got louder.

A familiar voice made way into her ears as a white blur leapt out of the bush.

Cordelia only managed a small smile at the twin-tailed knight in front of her.

Severa wasn't exactly in a good shape either. She was covered in soot. Her armor broke, revealing scratches and bruises on her skin. But she came.

Cordelia released her grip on the knife and dropped to her knees.

Severa jumped off her pegasus and rushed to the smiling redhead. She grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up.

"You need to get out of here."

Cordelia's lips straightened. She only managed a stare, even when she felt her wound started healing again.

"Border's breached. The Plegians are coming. You need to get to Ylisstol and warn Commander Phila and Lady Emmeryn."

"O-okay. We'll go back. They'll have to trek through the mountain if they're coming from the West. We still go time."

"Cordy, listen to me." She got out of her reverie when Severa snapped her shoulders. "They're already here. Any much longer and we'll be waiting for the main force.  _You_ need to get back and tell them that."

Cordelia furrowed her brows. Her lips curled downward. "Why are you saying that? We'll both get out of here." She clasped Severa's hands in hers. "There's gotta be other way. Some routes they don't know."

"Aurora's tired. She won't be able to support both of us."

"Then-"

"You're the better flier." Severa smiled. "And I can buy you some more time here." She reached for Cordelia's face and wiped the tears pooling at the corners of her eyes. "Look after mom for me, okay?"

Cordelia bit her lower lip, and nodded. She didn't raise her head again, only staring at the ground instead. Severa's feet moved and turned around. Then she heard the dark flier called for the pegasus.

Aurora let out a faint neigh and approached the sisters. Severa put the reign in Cordelia's hand and pulled her into a hug.

"I love you, you know. You're the best sister a girl could have," she whispered.

Cordelia nodded. Her sniff grew louder when Severa broke off and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"You need to go."

Cordelia wiped her eyes and climbed onto the pegasus.

Severa ran her hand through Aurora's mane. She looked back at her sister, and nodded.

Cordelia smiled, and with a firm tug on the reign, went airborne.

The darted away from the clearing, as shrieking wyverns came rushing, and spots of fire began surrounding the area.

* * *

She gave the reign a slight tug, and Aurora banked to the right just as a tree on her left burst into flame. Cordelia ducked her head and took a glance at their pursuers from under her arm.

She clicked her tongue when tongues fire crept out of a lizard's mouth. She pulled on the reign, and kicked the saddle.

Aurora rose up, and increased her speed. They punctured their way over the forest, right before a loud boom, and another tree caught on fire. The flame shone the area. Guttural screeches cut through the silent night as they reached the top.

"Down, girl." Cordelia tapped the side of Aurora's neck, and the pegasus descended again.

They were moving into another clearing. The sky had cleared completely, and the moon lighted the field. The wyverns above casted two large shadows below them.

Aurora tucked her wings and galloped as she touched the ground. The shadows darted past them. Cordelia brought out her winged-spear and clenched it tightly in one hand. She kicked the saddle and the pegasus picked up speed once more.

The wyverns screeched as their riders pulled hard on the reigns. One managed a hard turn. The other expanded its wings, but failed to react in time. It rammed the trees as it entered another thick part of the forest.

Cordelia set her sight on the wyvern coming their way. The Plegian brought out an axe, and the wyvern prepped a fireball. She gave the saddle another kick, and they moved straight ahead.

The Plegian did the same. His axe glimmered under the moonlight. Tongues of fire crept out from the sides of the wyvern's mouth, lighting its fangs and cracked skin.

Cordelia tightened her grip. Counting the distance, she readied her left foot. They were getting close she could feel the lizard's breath, hot and rotten, right in front of her.

She gave a tap on Aurora's left shoulder with her foot. The pegasus slanted to the left as a fireball darted past them. The wyvern now right above them.

Cordelia thrust her spear upwards.

The wyvern let out a deafening scream as the tip of the spear punctured through its right wing.

Cordelia gripped on her weapon as she hauled Aurora out of the falling lizard. She gritted her teeth when she felt the tug on her arm. The wyvern's screech got louder as the winged part of her spear stuck to its skin, and she was pulling on it.

A wet sensation drenched Cordelia's arm as they continued on their way. She set her sight at the edge of the forest, ignoring the painful scream of the beast that moved lower and lower behind them. She clenched her spear when the other wyvern flew out of the trees.


	19. Tempest part III

They had been flying for hours. Cordelia covered her face with her hand as they made their way towards the capital. The rays from the rising sun pierced her eyes. She could make up the silhouette of the palace's towers against the sunlight from the cracks of her fingers.

That was when she saw them.

The Plegians were just gathering of small dots at the corner of her eyes when she first noticed them. She slowed down, and squint her eyes for clearer view. Ranks of swordsmen and fighters gathered before the main gate. Archers tugged at the strings of their bows and the mages lined neatly behind them. Wyverns growled and screeched, hovering over the soldiers.

She tugged at the reign, and Aurora started to descend. They entered a bush nearby. The pegasus neighed as she galloped through the trees, getting them closer to the city's entrance.

"Shh…" Cordelia rubbed Aurora's neck as she focused her ears. Her eyes never broke away from the bands of soldiers ahead.

"Ylliseans," a shout, all the way from the front row caught her attention. She narrowed her eyes, trying to find the owner. She gave up after a few tries and got off the pegasus. Holding Aurora by the reign, she moved closer to the edge, hoping she would catch a glimpse of the leader.

"Ylliseans," it went again, and she still failed to pinpoint him. She decided to listen instead.

"We're not here today seeking blood. Under order of the King Gangrel, we're here to collect just compensation for our loss on the last war, started by your Exalt. Surrender the Fire Emblem, and we will leave in peace. You have three days to consider, before the might of the Great Plegian Army crush that gate of yours."

Cordelia stood there, blinking her eyes, trying to make sense what had just happened. Was she too late? Did Eirin, Meg, and Valeria died for nothing? Did her knight-sisters died for nothing? Was Severa's effort, letting her escape not even worth some time? She mulled the questions in her head, over and over, until she finally came to the conclusion she wanted.

No. Of course not. Severa trusted her to let Commander Phila what had happened at the border. To warn Lady Emmeryn of what was coming. Communications had definitely stopped since the attack. They must be waiting for some news. And she would deliver it to them. She would let them know how powerless she felt when she couldn't even save her friend. How she cursed herself for not being able to join her company. How shattering it was to leave her sister, knowing full-well what her fate would be. She'd let them know, even with her dying breath.

She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, staring at the ranks of Plegians beyond the trees. Even in her current state, she should be able to take at least three or four. Long enough to accomplish her mission. Her eyes went wild, figuring out the best route, when a nudge at the back of her head snapped her out of her reverie.

She turned around, and was showered by licks and nudges from Aurora. The pegasus licked her cheeks over and over again.

Cordelia gently rubbed the side of Aurora's head. "I'm sorry. You're right. There's gotta be another way." She planted a kiss on the pegasus' nose. "We should get out of here. While we still can."

She led the pegasus away, turning around once to take a look at the city's wall.

* * *

They flew for a few more hours, drifting aimlessly towards the east. Cordelia had thought of going to Ferox, seeing as they did tie an agreement with their neighbor recently. She decided against it after some more thoughts. Given the recent string of events, a lone pegasus knight would raise all kinds of red flags. She might not even get to enter the country, assuming Aurora could survive the trail.

Without a clear direction in mind, she let the pegasus chose their destination. They were moving east, following the way the wind blew. There wasn't much this side of Yllise, saved for a few villages and the fortress at the far end of the continent. Being the end facing the sea, the Eastern Fortress wasn't as heavily armed as the one she had been, but there should still be someone that knew what to do. At the very least, they would get some rest and resupply, she thought, so she let the pegasus had her way.

Cordelia was looking lazily at the horizon, when she spotted something a few miles in the distance.

Humans, tiny as ants in her eyes, moved, scattered all over a clearing at the edge of a cliff. Some flailed their hands, sending reflections of light her way, while others hurled tiny fireballs.

They were fighting, that much she was certain, but who? And why here of all places? She squint her eyes. She was stunned in place when she finally realized the parties.

Everyone else was a blur, but she recognized Chrom's blue hair anywhere.

She grabbed the leather reign and snapped it hard.

* * *

Chrom paced through the battlefield, parrying his way towards the leader of the enemies. Robin was right behind him, finishing the Plegians the prince left.

The wyvern rider was now directly before him. Aiming for the lizard's neck, Chrom raised the Falchion and leapt in the air.

Vasto snapped the reign, and the wyvern pulled back, dodged Chrom's attack. The rider pulled out his axe and kicked the saddle. The wyvern lunged at the prince, baring its teeth.

Chrom took a back step, right when Robin rushed forward, shield raised.

A shattering sound echoed when his shield met the lizard's claw. The tactician unleashed a wide slash at the beast. It grazed the wyvern's chest, barely scratching it. Robin huffed as he looked at the thin line he made.

The wyvern stood up and raised both arms.

Chrom rushed forward, grabbed the hood of Robin's cloak, and pulled hard. He ducked as wyvern claws rushed over his head. He raised his sword, and thrust it at the beast's shoulder.

The wyvern let out a deafening scream when Falchion pierced its scale. Red liquid dripped out of the cut.

"Damn Yllisean roaches. Die already." Vasto pulled on the reign, and they leapt over the duo, leaving the ground.

Chrom and Robin dispersed as they dodged the barrage of fire raining down on them. The prince parried the ones he couldn't avoid, while the mercenary blocked his.

"Got any bright ideas, tactician?"

"Unless you can fly, keep dodging."

Chrom looked around when Robin said the word fly. Sumia was busy, working with Sully on another part of the battlefield.

"Captain Chrom."

A shout for the prince's name caught the men's attention. All three looked to the direction to find a pegasus rider was coming their way. She raised the javelin in her hand and launched it at Vasto.

The Plegian pulled his reign as the polearm inched towards him. The wyvern managed to dodge in time, but the rider lost his balance and plummeted to the ground.

Chrom winced as the rider touched the solid earth right in front of him. Up above, his wyvern let out a scream and flew away. The Sheperds were finishing when Cordelia landed.

"Get a head count," Robin said, making his way towards the hierarch's body lying just a few steps away.

Chrom nodded and let his eyes wandered about the area. With the exception of Hierarch Rozin and a few royal guards, they had survived yet another fight. Satisfied, he made way towards the redhead. Emmeryn, Phila, and Sumia already gathered around her.

"Cordelia, what are you doing here?" Phila said as he approached the women. "Don't tell me we had lost the border."

"That I could, commander, but it would be a lie. And… it gets worse."

Her next few words went straight through Chrom's head. He stood behind them for a moment, refusing to believe what he just heard.

"What?" he finally spoke.

Cordelia turned around, clearly startled by his sudden yell.

"Are you sure that's what you heard? We only have three days before they storm Yllistol?"

She nodded.

"Chrom, we need to go back." Emmeryn's voice entered his ears.

* * *

Robin stared at the dead hierarch, killed by the ones he betrayed them for, when Chrom's voice caught his attention. He got up and made way towards them.

"Emm, that's not going to happen. All the more reason to speed up our journey east." Chrom was practically yelling at his sister when the tactician arrived.

"No, Chrom, I won't," Emmeryn countered. "Leaving Yllistol was a mistake. I should've been there with the people. We might be able to negotiate something when they arrived."

"Emm, please, listen to me for once. Haven't you seen enough? These guys aren't human. We'll just be wasting time talking with them. We need to get you to safety first, then I'll do something about the city. I promised."

Emmeryn chuckled. "Chrom, the Exalt's place is with the people. I can't abandon them when they clearly need me, now more than ever. And I might be able to buy us some time until you and Sir Robin figure something out."

Chrom was opening his mouth when Robin decided to speak.

"As the tactician, I must tell you that it is unwise to make a decision without knowing all the details. Why don't we hear what she has to say first? We're still not that far from Yllistol, and we'd be able to get some rest should we choose that route."

All eyes focused on Robin, and shifted to Cordelia when he pointed at her. The redhead was looking at him, face dark with soot and bloodshot eyes. He flashed her a smile, the one he had perfected over the years.

"Very well. I guess that is the best course of action for now." Emmeryn sighed. "But I am not planning on changing my mind."


	20. The Choice We Made

The day was almost over. Following Robin's suggestion, the Sheperds had set up camp and listened to Cordelia's side of things. The three royal siblings and the tactician, as well as a few others had gathered in the strategy tent. Frederick and Phila stood stoically at both side of the opening. All eyes focused on the red-haired woman at the other end.

Cordelia told them everything. Her eyes burned as she talked, trying to finish it as fast as she could. She stopped when a sharp pain at the tip of her tongue jolted her. She gave the space a run-through, finally realized the attention she was having.

"I'm… I'm sorry. I could've done better. I should've expected that arrow. I'm a disgrace…"

"Cordelia." Phila's voice echoed through the tent. Her commander moved towards her and put her hands on her shoulders. "Don't ever say that again. You're here for a reason."

"But I failed her…"

"True. You might have not reached us in time. But you've brought something else with you, right? Why don't you tell us about the city?"

She nodded. Answering Robin's questions, she even managed to squeeze out the Plegians rough formation out of her head.

"Thank you. That would be all." Robin flashed her a smile. "You should go get some rest."

She was about to protest, when Sumia grabbed both her shoulders. Let's go, Cordy. You can sleep in my tent tonight."

Cordelia just nodded and followed her outside.

Robin trailed the women moving past the entrance with his eyes. All the attention was already on him when he set his sight back inside the tent. He stared at the faces for a moment.

"I certainly don't recommend going back," he paused, gauging the reaction. Emmeryn was calm as ever. He heard Chrom sighed beside him. "And I don't think any sane person would want to go to Yllistol right now." He looked straight at the Exalt.

She chuckled.

"While that may be true, I still have a duty towards my people."

"Damn it, Emm." Chrom stood up and slammed his fist on the table." Ever since you took the throne, that's all I've been hearing. People this, and people that. Can't you be selfish for once? Sometimes I wished-"

"Chrom."

Lissa came forward, grabbed his shoulder. That seemed to calm him somewhat. He took a deep breath a few times and looked at the blond across the table.

The Exalt smiled softly at her siblings.

"Chrom, Lissa," she said. "I know it must be hard since father died, but this is my duty. It's the price I must pay."

"For what? For being a child of a madman? For being the oldest among us? We're family, Emm. Let us help you."

"I'm sorry, but it is my burden to bear."

Chrom didn't even bother to mask his frustration.

"Chrom," Emmeryn's soft expression turned rigid, cold. "I know you only wanted the best for me, but my decision is final. I'm not asking you to understand, just accept it."

The prince slumped on his chair after the Exalt's words. Lissa stood behind him, squeezing his shoulder.

"So," Robin clapped his hands, "I take it we'll be going back then?"

Emmeryn nodded. The tactician only stared at her after the confirmation. They shared a look for a moment, when he smiled.

"Leave us," he said.

Chrom straightened his back at Robin's words. Lissa altered her sight between Robin and her sister. Frederick glared at the Plegian.

"Chrom," Emmeryn said. "Why don't you leave the planning to me and Sir Robin tonight? Go get some rest. We will tell you the details tomorrow. You too Frederick."

Hearing that, Chrom and the others reluctantly left the tent.

Phila made her way towards the center and stood behind the Exalt, glaring daggers at the smiling tactician.

The trio stayed like that for almost a minute, when Robin finally broke the silence.

"Doesn't this bring back memories?"

"In your dreams, Plegian. Milady would never have anything to do with you."

Emmeryn chuckled at Phila's rebuttal.

Robin just smiled at them.

"You'll probably want to skin me alive for this, but I'm gonna need some privacy with the Exalt. I'd appreciate it if you'd go guard the entrance. Can't have some spies listening now, can we?"

The knight clicked her tongue. She was opening her mouth, when Emmeryn cut her.

"I'll be fine, Phila. Why don't you go take some rest as well?"

"It's quite alright, milady. I shall go be just outside the tent. Please call me for  _anything_."

She made her way towards the entrance, sending icy looks at tactician as she moved by him.

Robin and Emmeryn watched in silence as Phila exited. They stared at the entrance for a moment before he poured some tea.

"You know," he said as he handed her a cup. "I've been studying tactics for more than ten years now." Sitting on his chair, he took a sip. "The first thing I learnt, even before knowing all the pieces on the chess board was this. When everything fails, run." He took another sip.

The blonde just smiled and put her cup to her mouth. "That does sound like a good thing to keep in mind. And very appropriate for our situation now I might say."

"Then do you mind telling me why you're dead set on going back, when everything tells you otherwise?"

"Retreating to the Eastern Fortress may be the rational thing to do, but like I told Chrom, my people need me. I can't abandon them. Not now."

"Perhaps," Robin leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. "But the thing about kings and people is it's not mutually exclusive.  _You_  don't need them. One thing I learned, doing what I do, is no matter how much broken a country is, the people will band together against outsiders. As long as there's someone to show them the way. As long as their king lives."

"I know that tone. It's the one you use when setting your bait." She straightened her back and placed both hands firmly in front of her. "Let me ask you this, Kingmaker, what good is a king without his subjects?"

The tactician's smile dropped off his face. He retracted and slumped on his seat.

"I'm not afraid of dying," the Exalt said. "I've prepared for that when I chose to take the throne six years ago. In fact, I'm surprised we even lasted this long. What I'm really afraid, is for the people to lose their trust in the royal family. My father almost lost it during the last war. It took years for us to finally rebuild that. For the people to put their trust on the Exalt, and on each other once more. I can't let it be destroyed just for fear of my life. I can't have Chrom and Lissa go through what I had."

A few moments passed when Robin sighed. "You're as stubborn as ever. You know that'll get you killed someday, right?"

Emmeryn chuckled. "Well, a certain tactician once said to me, people die all the time. It's what they did in their living is what counts."

"I guess there's nothing else I can say." Robin stood up and looked straight at the blond at the other side of the table. "As the tactician, I will make sure the people's trust on the crown never dwindles. You have my word."

Emmeryn nodded and smiled.

* * *

Cordelia opened her eyes for the hundredth time. Despite the events, sleep did not come easy for her. She tossed and turned on her cot, trying to find that perfect position, hoping its discovery would finally send her to the other side. She sighed when she found herself back in square one. Flat on her back, staring at the tanned leather that made the tent she shared with Sumia. She closed her eyes again, this time with an arm on her face as well.

It was dark. Pitch black. And it started with Severa.

All she could see was her sister, standing alone in the darkness, with shattered armor and bloodied face. Then a light flickered behind her. A flame, primed on the palm of a mage, eyes dead straight on her sister.

For some reason, Severa never looked back. She was looking at her,  _smiling_  at her instead.

She tried screaming, when the mage raised his hand, but nothing came out. Not even a muffled sound. She tried running towards her, but the distance never seemed to shorten. She tried reaching for her when the fireball hit.

Severa fell, kneeling on the ground. But she just wouldn't stop smiling.

And then a javelin came out of nowhere, pierced her stomach.

_Stop smiling. Pull it out. Cover the wound. Heal yourself, Do something._

And then a knife just magically lodged on Severa's shoulder. Two swords. Another javelin.

And then ten, fifteen, twenty fireballs flickered around them.

And then she woke up. Sleep did not come easy for Cordelia that night.

Finally getting tired of the view above, she got up. Sitting on her cot, the redhead glanced around the tent. Across her, Sumia's cot was empty. Untouched. Her books were arranged neatly at the head.

She looked at her side of the tent. Her clothes and armors scattered all over the place. One of her boots even went as far as the opening.

Cordelia sighed. Changing back into her usual outfit, she folded the nightgown Sumia lent her and placed it neatly at the foot of her cot. She tidied up the tent and went outside.

* * *

Cordelia woke up with a very tense neck and sharp pain down her spine. She found herself sitting on a chair, with a dark brown cloth on top of her.

"Oh good, you're awake. I suggest you go get ready. We'll be leaving soon."

She looked at the direction of the voice and found Robin staring at a table. Rubbing her eyes, she moved towards him. Her spine creaked with the first few steps.

"Saved you some breakfast," the tactician said as he took his cloak back from her.

A peek at the table brought back her memories from last night. She had met him on her walk, and for some reason, agreed to help him with the preparation for today. She believed his exact words were, "since you're not sleeping anyway, mind helping me with something? The Exalt would be very grateful for your efforts."

She grabbed a piece of toast from the plate beside the stack of papers filled with her writing.

"How… are things?" Cordelia winced as she bit the soggy bread.

"Well, I'm about to send the Exalt to certain death, and lead the Sheperds to Ferox with very limited rations. Definitely not my best day."

"I…see." She put the half-eaten bread back on the plate and took a closer look at the map on the table.

The red scribbles on the paper were definitely more than she remembered. And there were two new black lines, thicker than the others. One leading back to Yllistol, another went further east, before curving back to the boarder towards Regna Ferox.

She was studying the road, when her attention shifted towards Robin's hand at the edge of the paper. The mark on the back of his hand was nothing she'd seen before. She couldn't help but look at the three pair of eyes that seemed to stare back at her. She broke out of her reverie when they moved out of sight.

Robin took a quill and scribbled new thin red lines on the map. The mark moved with each stroke, alongside the bracelet on his wrist. The same one Severa had.

Then the tent's door flapped open. Phila was standing outside.

"It's time."

The tactician nodded. He put on his coat and rolled the map, revealing another one underneath it. "Let's go," he said as he moved towards the blond, Cordelia close behind.

* * *

Despite the clear sky and the scorching sun, the air was gloom to say the least. Half of the tents were gone.

They moved towards a gathering of people, clearly divided in two. Lissa was hugging Emmeryn, sobbing into the elder's robe. Chrom stared at both sisters, fists clenched and brows frowned. Frederick, holding one of Yllisse's regalia, the Fire Emblem, watched the royals behind them. Sumia was beside him, eyes clearly fixated on the prince.

"Milady." Phila saluted and moved to Emmeryn's left as soon as they arrived.

"It's still not too late to change your mind," Robin said, looking straight at the Exalt.

She flashed him a smile. Her hand gently rubbing the top of Lissa's head.

He sighed, and handed the rolled-up map to Phila. "Stick as close to the route as you can. Can't guarantee you won't see any combat, but it should be safe enough."

"Lissa, it's time to go." Emmeryn tapped the princess on her back.

Still burrowing her face in her sister's robe, Lissa shook her head. Emmeryn smiled, and kissed her head. She reached for Chrom and pulled him for a hug.

Phila turned to face the soldiers. "Prepare to move. Standard formation."

Cordelia was about to join them when her superior stopped her.

"Not you. I want you to go with the prince's Sheperds."

Her eyes widened at her commander's order.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not blaming or pitying you or what happened. You've done plenty for us," she said, sowing the map in her hand. "But you'll be much more useful to them."

She only managed a blank stare at her. A few moments passed before she finally nodded.


	21. Paths part I

"You sure this going to work, boy?"

Lazlo raised his head away from the map in front of him.

Mustafa was standing at the entrance. They shared a look for a moment, before he entered. Taking off the wolf helm on his head, he placed it at the edge of the table and took his place beside the prince.

"It needs to." Lazlo revert his eyes back on the sketch of Yllistol in front of him. "We don't have enough men to take the city head on. Have we heard anything from the capital?"

"None. Either Gangrel has really lost his mind, or he gave up on the thing." Mustafa huffed at the end of his sentence. "Maybe I should go and challenge him for the throne. That ought to put his head back in the game."

"Milord." Lazlo moved his sight towards his retainer across the table. "Maybe we should refrain from spouting such words. Nobody knows where the King's ears might be. Some might think of it as… mutinous."

"Hah. What's he gonna do? Kill me? He'd risk everything turning to sand. He might not have his head where it should be, but he's no idiot. And besides, no one's paying attention here anyway. The lads are getting impatient by the minutes. They've been staring at the gate since dawn."

Lazlo's eyes widened at hearing the older man's words. "We still have time."

"Three hours are nothing for hot-blooded pups. And we can't stay here forever."

"One more day. Can you buy us today? At least until we can come up with something decent."

Mustafa raised his eyebrows at his request. He sighed. "I'll see what I can do. But I should remind you, they're not my men. They only answer to your father.  _The King._  Heads might roll if I can't control them."

"Do what you must. Breaking ranks and rushing in blind is the last thing we want right now."

He nodded. Putting back his helm, he made way towards the entrance and disappeared from Lazlo's eyes.

The prince looked up and sighed.

In three hours, the time limit they set for the Ylliseans would be over. And should they fail to give him the answer he was hoping for, the Plegians would have to storm the city tomorrow. Whether they like it or not.

_Damn it._

"Perhaps a short break is in order?"

Gaven's voice broke his thoughts. He looked to the other man.

"I'm fine. We can't afford to take a break. Not now." He took a deep breath and looked back at the map on the table. "So, what else do we know about the city? Canals? Some hidden waterways into it?"

Gaven shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Yllistol uses spring water as her main lifesource. The whole city was built with the massive fountain at its core. It doesn't need water supply from outside. And from what our scouts gathered, the sewers don't extend far outside either. We believe it's the moat surrounding the outer wall."

Lazlo rubbed his face and sighed. "So our only way in is either through the gate or from the air."

The other man nodded. "The former is nearly impossible to penetrate without siege machines,"

"And the latter would be straight up suicide," Lazlo said, finishing his retainer's words.

He bent himself over the table, looking at every last detail of the sketch. His face was inches from the paper.

"That can't be it. There's gotta be something we're missing. No city's perfect."

"Sorry to disappoint you, milord. But unless we're him, I don't think we'll be able to find it time."

Lazlo stopped what he was doing and raised his head. Looking at his retainer, he could've sworn the man's face was about to fall off.

"I'm… apologies, milord. That wasn't my intention-"

"It's fine." Lazlo sighed. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Guess we really should take a break. And besides," stretching his body, "Robin probably won't even need a map. He'd already have someone from the inside just open the gates, if not outright stealing the damn thing for us."

Gaven chuckled. He poured some wine into a mug and handed it to him.

"Guess we took him for granted since the victory. We ignored the fact that he's still a hired sword," Lazlo said, eyeing his drink before taking a sip.

"So it's true, then?" He looked at Gaven, now cutting a loaf of hard bread into smaller pieces. "Was the Sanctum really planning a coup?"

"Doesn't matter it's true or not. What the people believe is more important. And it's not exactly a coup if they got paid to do it. It's just a job for them…"

Lazlo took another swig. Slumped on his chair, he closed his eyes and let his mind wandered to the last day he saw Robin a year ago. The day he was tasked to hunt down his very first friend.

No one planned as well as Robin. But what could one man do against a whole country?

* * *

It was winter. The day after a snowstorm. Yet he couldn't even feel the cold. He was burning, even. And it wasn't because of the glowing red aura twirling around his body. He thought he had gotten used to killing by now, that he'd be able to shut himself off and let his body do all the work, but it never came for him.

It was always exhilarating when he gripped the handle of his sword. When he shot the lightning from the tip of his blade. When he called forth his inner power. When the whole world was tinted red in his eyes, all he could feel was delight. Fun.

Lazlo parried the blade coming his way. Lunging forward, he planted his fist on his enemy. The man's body limped when he choked his throat and slammed their heads together. Thick, warm liquid drenched his face as the lifeless body dropped to the ground.

_More. More, more._

"What the hell happened to you?"

He snapped out of his trance and turned around towards the familiar voice.

Robin was carrying someone. His face was bloodied, covered in soot.

"Were you waiting for me?"

"I, I'm, I had…"

Robin kneeled and gently placed the woman in his arm on the white snow. He stood up, revealing the massive gash on his torso. Pulling out his blade, he pointed it at him.

"If you're waiting here to kill me, better put a sword in those hands."

Lazlo frowned. Looking down, he finally realized his fist was bare. Blood dripped from both knuckles, staining the snow at his feet.

And then he remembered why he waited there. What he was going to do.

"I don't want to fight you, Robin. Come with me. I can put good words to the King for you. He knows talents when he sees one. Come with me and start over."

Robin glared at him for what felt like an eternity. He smiled. A silent smile at first. Then the grin grew wider. Before long, he was laughing.

"I never knew you were a jester. So this is what you call starting over?" He gestured at their surroundings with both hands.

Frowning again, Lazlo looked around him. He had to grit his teeth to keep himself from vomiting. Lifeless bodies scattered all around him, dyeing the snow red. His sword was planted on a headless body not too far from where he stood.

"Do they look like they can start over to you? Does  _she_ look like she wants to start over?" He pointed at the body he rested before.

Lazlo took a good look at her. Her robe was red, all but a few red spots where blood never reached. Her face smeared with dried blood and ash. Two clean lines trailed both her cheeks from her closed eyes. Her lips were blue. And yet she seemed so peaceful. Like she was in a deep slumber, waiting for her prince to wake her up.

"I'm sorry, Robin. It wasn't my intention for it to end like this. If I could turn back time, I wished I'd tried harder. Obviously I can't. But I can still save you. Come with me. We'll patch you up, and I'll talk to the King."

Robin just laughed out of his nose. "And I'm sorry too. But the only way I'm going back to Claywood right now, is if you put my head in sack and bring it back yourself." He raised his sword.

Lazlo bit his lips and balled his fists. He went back and forth between Robin's eyes and his blade, before finally opening his mouth. "Don't come back," he said. Looking straight at him, he repeated himself. "Go, and don't come back."

Robin finally lowered his sword and sheathed it. Gently, he lifted the woman and walked towards him.

"I'm sorry." It was all Lazlo could mutter as his friend limped past him.

* * *

"Milord."

Lazlo opened his eyes at the sudden call. Gaven was staring at the entrance, face distorted like he had seen a ghost. Turning around, he noticed Mustafa at the opening, accompanied by two women. His eyes widened and he stood up instantly when the identity for one of them kicked in.

Mustafa gestured for the Yllisean to enter. He gave a nod to the prince and exited the tent. His voice echoed from the outside, shouting order for the men to stand down.

The Exalt turned around and stared at the tanned leather as his voice was met with cheers and shouts.

"Don't worry, milady. I assure you, no harm will come to your men as long as they behave."

Turning back, Emmeryn looked at him for a moment and nodded.

"Please, have a seat." Lazlo gestured towards the wooden chair that Gaven placed a few steps away from him.

Emmeryn waited for his retainer to come back next to him before taking her seat. The other woman stood beside her, hands behind her back, glaring at him. Locking their eyes, he finally recognized her as the bearer of good news six years ago.

"I'd offer you something to drink, but I don't think that's appropriate, so I'll cut straight to the point." He paused, making sure his guests were paying attention. "Give us the Fire Emblem, and this will all be over. I give you my word, as the Crown Prince of Plegia, you, your people, and your city will be left unharmed.

Emmeryn stared at him in silence for a moment. She smiled. "I'm sorry, but I cannot do that."

Lazlo gritted his teeth at her answer. "And why not?" Seeing as she kept her mouth shut, he continued. "Milady, I'm trying to stop a full-scale war from happening here. I know it's one of Yllise's regalia, but surely a… trinket is a cheap price to pay. You of all people know what'd happen if a war broke again."

She let a few beats passed before finally opening her mouth. "And what if I say two countries burnt to the ground  _is_ the cheaper one?"

His eyes widened. Furrowed his brows, he looked to Gaven before turning back to face the Yllisean.

"Are you mocking me, milady? Or are the things I heard about you over the years were all fake?"

"No, that is not my intention, Prince Lazlo." He straitened his back when she called him by name. "But may I ask what your intention is after acquiring it? Do you know why King Gangrel is so keen on the Fire Emblem? Even willing to plunge this land into another war just to have it?"

The prince opened his mouth and closed it shortly after when he failed to produce an answer. She was right. He never told him why he wanted the Fire Emblem. But, did it matter? King Gangrel longed for the Ylliseans' treasure he would start another war. As if he'd already forgotten the last one ever existed. Lazlo couldn't have that. They had sacrificed a lot of things to end the last one. He had killed too many husbands and fathers to last a lifetime. Another war would mean more killings for him.  _More killings. Maybe another one isn't such a bad idea after-_

Lazlo shook his head and snapped himself out of his thoughts. He took a few deep breaths and stood up. Staring straight into Emmeryn's eyes, he spoke.

" _I_ need the Fire Emblem to prevent another war from happening. And I'll do whatever it takes to get it. I don't know about you, but one is enough for me." He then turned to face his retainer. "Gaven."

"Milord."

"Tell the men to get ready. I want one mage on each wyverns. They'll storm from the sky, and we'll hit the gates when the Ylliseans are occupied."

"Right away, milord." Gaven saluted and moved towards the entrance.

"Wait."

Lazlo smiled as Emmeryn's voice entered his ears. Gesturing for Gaven to stop, he turned around, waiting for her.

"Have you ever heard the phrase, the road to hell is paved with good intentions?" Lazlo frowned. "It means-"

"I know what it means," he said, cutting her mid-sentence. "A… friend told me once."

"Then I'd have you know, you may tore Yllistol brick by brick, but you will not find the Fire Emblem here."

The frown never left him. Letting a moment passed, his eyes widened when the realization finally sunk in.

"Robin." He smashed his fist on the table.

"Milord?"

"It's long gone by now. She was stalling." He turned to face the Ylliseans. "This is low, even for him. He'd never risk a king's life before, he won't get paid otherwise. You really trust him that much?"

"I do. I trust him more than I trust myself."

"Then let's hope he answers that trust with loyalty." Lazlo pulled out his sword and aimed it at the Exalt. "You will come with me, and he'll come for you.  _With_ the Fire Emblem."


	22. Paths part II

With the exception of a few encounters with some risens, the Sheperds journey to Regna Ferox was uneventful. They arrived a day later than expected, to the annoyance o the East Khan, but she greeted them with open arms nonetheless. The Ylliseans only had about a half-day's rest, but Chrom couldn't wait any longer. It was decided the Feroxis would join the Sheperds in reclaiming back Yllistol. Robin had sent a messenger pigeon towards the capital to get some grasp on the situation before actually proceeding.

Cordelia sighed as she put a silver sword back into its stack and updated the weapons lists. In preparing for their departure, the tactician had asked her to do the inventories while the other Sheperds trained with the Feroxis. For some reason, she just couldn't say no to him. And it was all because of his smile. How she hated that smile. Perfect, elegant. Fake. A mask that never seemed to leave his face. Made it impossible to read his mind. Most people just followed thinking he had planned for everything.

She broke out of her thought when she heard a loud noise behind her. She turned around to find the stacks of tomes and staves she arranged earlier scattered on the ground. Chrom stood in the middle of the pile, teeth gritted, eyes closed.

"M- milord?"

"Please, Cordelia, stop it with the formalities. We're all Sheperds here." He sighed and started to pick up the staves.

"Milord, please, let me." She rushed towards the prince and grabbed a few tomes.

"No, no. I should be apologizing instead. I made the mess. I'll clean it up. And what did I tell you about formalities?"

"R- right. I'm sorry, mi… Chrom."

"There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Chrom turned around, healing staves in his arms, smiling.

Cordelia felt her cheeks heated up, and she smiled as well.

"Umm?" Chrom looked around the storage room with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Healing staves go over there, just beside the transporters." She pointed at one side of the room, where a few other staves leaned neatly against the wall.

"Right, of course." He flashed another smile and moved towards the wall. "I'm so glad you joined us. I can't even find my own boots at times, and Sumia would probably just mess up this room even more… don't tell her I said that."

Cordelia chuckled. She proceeded to clean up the tomes while Chrom arranged the staves. It didn't take too long before the room was back to the way it was.

"Whew, that wasn't fun. At all." Chrom clapped his hands a few times. "How'd you even manage this alone all the time is beyond me."

"Fun is subjective," she said, stacking the last of the tomes at another corner of the room. "And besides, I'm pretty sure just about everyone can do a better job than me."

"Don't be so modest, Cordelia. Everyone can do inventory, but no one does it like you. Just take the compliment already."

She opened her mouth for another rebuttal, but decided against it. "Thanks." She smiled instead. "So, what can I do for you?"

"Nothing big, really. Robin just wanted me to check our stock of vulneraries."

Cordelia frowned. "Vulneraries? And he sent a royalty to do that?"

"Well, you know him. He can be quite… persuasive to say it politely. Said something about this being a war and stuff, so anything goes. Not that I'm complaining, but sometimes I do wonder if I made the right choice hiring him." He started stretching, popping his joints at the start of each sentences.

"Sounds like him."

Chrom raised his brows. "So you do know him?"

Cordelia blinked a few times, realizing what she had said. "N- not personally, no. It's just, I've been on the other end of his… persuasion. And Sev just couldn't stop talking about him since their reunion."

A few moments passed in silence before Chrom spoke.

"I'm sorry for your lost."

"I'm sorry too. She seemed so happy back then. I shouldn't have-"

"Hey."

Cordelia raised her head and blinked away her tears.

"You're still alive. That counts for something. I'm not going to pretend I know what you're going through right now, because I can't, but I still care about you."

She wiped the tears forming at the corner of her eyes, the heat coming back to her cheeks. "You… do?"

"Oh, yeah. The Sheperds are like one big family to me. I care about each and every one of you. You're family now, so if you need someone to talk to, just pick anyone of us. I mean, Vaike's no good, and I don't think Lissa has the attention span for it either, but everyone else should be fine. I think."

Cordelia sighed. "One big family, huh?" she said under her breath.

"Come again?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing. Here's the thing you came for. We have enough vulneraries to supply three to each person. And he'd probably want to know how much healing staves we have as well."

"Right. Smart move. Why didn't I think of that? See? This is why nobody does inventory like you." Chrom said as he looked at the piece of paper she handed him. "Well, thanks for the help. And if you need anything,"

"I'll be sure to let you know." She smiled as she raised her hand.

Cordelia waved until Chrom was out of sight and she was alone once more. She traced the edge of her mouth, still curled upwards.

She hated this smile.

* * *

After the brief conversation she had with the prince, Cordelia worked on the inventory for a few more hours without intrusion, until she heard the door creaked open behind her. Turning around, she found Robin stood at the door, looking into the room.

"Wow, Chrom wasn't kidding. You're really something else with your inventory. Closest I've seen was probably one of those Anna sisters, but you gotta pay them, so…" He looked at her and smiled. "Are you done? Come with me."

Cordelia frowned. "It's late."

"I know. Is that a problem? Will you be sleeping tonight?"

She opened her mouth but closed it shortly. He was right. Sleep was a luxury she wouldn't get. Probably for the rest of her life. However short it might be.

Following him outside, she noticed the courtyard was already covered by a thin layer of snow.

"Aren't you cold?"

Robin already had his hood over his head when she looked at him. His cloak wrapped tightly around him.

"I don't mind," she said.

He shrugged. "If you say so. Let's go then. Flavia's going to skin me if she had to wait any longer."

Cordelia frowned, but followed him nonetheless.

They walked for about fifteen minutes through the wide corridors of the main wing to another part of the castle, clearly older than the rest. Robin made a few turns and now they were in a dimly lit pathway Cordelia never knew existed.

Neither talked much along the way, except when she'd answer his warnings for the occasional steep slopes and slippery walkways.

Walking mostly on a layer of snow for the latter half, they finally stopped in front of a small cottage, almost hidden in a crooked corner of the castle wall. Saved for the dim lights coming out the windows and through the door gaps, it blended perfectly with the grayed rocks running alongside it. Voices were heard from beyond the wall, of a woman, laughing, followed by a loud scream of a man, before both started laughing. Whatever they were doing, they seemed to be having fun, in spite of the recent events.

Robin sighed. Lowering his hood, he knocked on the door for the third time. The laughter subdued, and the door creaked open.

The smell of burnt meat and fruity wine rushed out of the entrance as the man's laugh went louder. Cordelia covered her eyes for a moment from the sudden light.

"You're late." Flavia stood at the other side of the door, both hands on her hips.

"I was busy." Robin patted the patches of snow stuck on his cloak.

"Woman, just let the lad in. Not like we even waited for him." Basilio's voice echoed from behind her.

"That's true." Flavia shrugged. "Come on in then. You too, whoever you are." She grabbed Cordelia by the wrist, and snatched her inside.

There were three other people in the room. Raimi, Lon'qu, and a pink-haired woman she never met before. Their eyes fixated on her as Flavia dragged her across the room.

"Here." Cordelia's mouth went agape when the East Khan put a mug in her hands and poured some red liquid into it. She looked to her for an explanation, when Robin's voice entered her ear.

"Just roll with it," he said.

Flavia raised the bottle in her hand. "Gentlemen,  _milady_ ," giving a slight bow at a still confused Cordelia, she continued. "To good life, and even better death." She started gulping her drink straight from the bottle.

Almost simultaneously, the others raised their mugs and glasses and drank theirs.

Caught off-guard, Cordelia slowly brought the edge of hers to her mouth and took a sip. Her frown had gotten deeper since she stepped inside.

Holding the her mug in both hands, she sank in her thoughts for a moment, trying to make sense what had finally happened, when Raimi appeared before her with two plates of roasted meat. Cordelia blinked at the woman, and looked at the plates and her occupied hands a few times. She searched for somewhere to put her drink, when Robin cam and took the plates from Raimi.

"Thanks," he said with his signature smile.

Raimi huffed at his face and went back to join the others, now circling the table at the center of the room.

Basilio had an arm around Lon'qu's neck, while his other hands rose towards Flavia. The East Khan clinked her bottle with his tankard and they both downed their drinks.

"Guess she's still mad at me." Robin's voice brought Cordelia's attention back to him. "Here," he gestured one of the plates at her, "the deer's very good this time of year."

Cordelia, still wanting some kind of context, ignored the plates and looked straight at him.

Robin smiled. Gesturing for her to follow him, he walked to one corner of the room and took a seat on the wooden floor.

She could've sworn his smile changed for an instance.

"I'm a Plegian," he said as he handed her a plate.

Frowning, she grabbed the food and took a seat beside him.

"And so is Olivia." He pointed at the pink-haired woman, now hiding herself behind Raimi. Flavia was laughing in-between gulps in front of them. Basilio was shaking his head and Lon'qu had his mug covered his entire face at one end of the table. "Raimi was from a small village just outside of Themis, right on the border. She's both Plegian  _and_ Ylissean."

Cordelia shifted her eyes towards the knight, now stood between Basilio and Flavia, desperately pushing them away from each other. Olivia seemed like she would break out and cry at any moment as the Khans clashed their heads together.

"Lon'qu wasn't here when I left, so I don't really know that much about him other than his sword skills. They must really like him a lot."

She looked at the man beside her after he finished. And there it was again. That almost genuine smile she saw before.

"I grew up here… kinda." Looking straight at the others, he put his plate on the floor and rested his back against the wall. "We were playing, just doing kids' stuff, hiding, chasing one another in the woods. The she slipped, sprained her ankle, and… I sent her home. It was dusk when we arrived, so Lady Erika let me stayed the night. First time I tasted Yllissean food, and slept on an actual bed. She gave me a loaf of bread for the journey home the next day. I walked through the forest the whole afternoon, just taking my time. And when I came out, my house was… gone. Rubbles, blood everywhere. Smoke rose like a chimney on mid-winter's night. I couldn't even recognize which ones were my parents…"

He turned his head and looked at Cordelia. "Can you imagine what went through that child's head then? Too old to ignore, too young to actually make sense what had happened. Too… angry with the unfairness of the world. I stared at the fire for three whole days, with half-eaten bread on my lap."

She looked in silence as he talked. Thin layer of water shrouded his eyes the entire time. There was sadness, but more than that, she saw anger, hate.  _Despair._

Robin set his sight back on the Feroxis. "Then a mercenary group came. Apparently some Yllisse's noble hired them to warn the small villages alongside both borders. Guess they weren't fast enough. Saved what they could, and they brought us here. Most went away a few years after, but they're the closest thing I have to a family right now."

Cordelia reverted to the others. For some reason, Flavia and Basilio had their arms around each other's neck, waving the drinks in their other hands, singing an incoherent tune. Looking at both Khans, Olivia was redder than her hair, while Raimi scraped the last piece of meat from the pile of bones on the table. Lon'qu was nowhere to be found.

She put her plate on the floor beside her and brought her legs close. Hugging them, she rested her shin on her knees. "I was seven." She felt Robin's head turned towards her, but chose to ignore it. "I was seven when the war broke. Mom was the captain of the pegasus knights, and Dad was the Exalt's personal aide. They went away not even a week after my birthday. They never came back. I don't have to imagine what the child felt. I was one."

She raised her brows and looked to the side when she felt warmth on top of her head, caressing through her hair. Robin was smiling. A sad smile, but the most genuine she ever seen.

"Aren't we the unfortunate ones?" he said.

She smiled back, and raised her head. Robin removed his hand as she swept her bangs to the side.

"A friend of my mother's took me in, raised me as her own. Ever since I stepped into that house, Severa just wouldn't leave me alone. I guess she could imagine what went through those children's mind. She was always so perceptive. And I still have to go back to that house… and tell mother. Tell Lady Erika that her only family, her own daughter that was once a part of her, is gone." She chuckled, tears burning at the back of her eyes. "How do I even do that? Where do I even start?"

"You just do."

She wiped her tears as she turned her head.

"Some people need to be happy to live. I just need to live. Too many people had died so I could keep on living. And I'll do anything to keep breathing, even for just a second longer."

Cordelia stared at him long after he finished. She let the beats passed as the realization of his words sank in her mind.

Then she felt her neck yanked to the side.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?"

Flavia's voice echoed closely, reeked of brandy, one arm wrapped tightly around her shoulder. She could've sworn Robin rolled his eyes at the question.

"You're crying. Why are you crying?" Flavia's nose was inches from hers. "Nobody should cry on my birthday. Here," once again, the blonde put a mug in her hand, "drink some more, and you'll feel better… I always do." She clinked the mug with hers, and downed its content.

Without muttering a single word, Cordelia brought the edge of the mug to her mouth and finished it in one gulp.

"There. Feel any better?"

"Um, I… yes, actually." She smiled. "Thank you, milady."

She heard Robin sighed at the side, as the older woman raised her eyebrow, looking at her.

"Hey, did you hear that? She called me  _milady._ Guess someone put her corset a little bit too tight this morning. Maybe we should get that loosen up tonight?"

Cordelia's cheeks heated up at the comment. She opened her mouth, but words failed to come out of it. She froze for a moment, until she felt something pushed her chin upwards.

"Close your mouth, love. I was just joking."

Robin was groaning the whole time.

Flavia somehow managed to tuck herself between Cordelia and Robin. Hooking her other arm around him, she pulled both of them backwards as she slammed her back against the wall.

"Life's too short to dwell on what you should've or could've done. Just do what you can for today, and grit your teeth for tomorrow." She sighed, and ruffled Robin's hair. "Anyway, old face, new face," she rubbed her cheeks with Cordelia's, "great booze. What else do you need for a good life? Oh, right," she paused. "Olivia."

The pink-haired woman jumped at Flavia's sudden burst. Turning slowly, she looked at the trio, face redder than her hair.

"Sing."

Cordelia didn't think it was possible, but Olivia went even redder.

Robin sighed, Flavia laughed. Basilio shook his head and Lon'qu straightened his back. Raimi flipped an empty bowl and hammered a simple beat with a spoon.

Olivia looked around, pouting. But then she started singing.

A simple melody. Kind, nurturing, like a mother's lullaby, that reminded Cordelia of home.

Surrounded by the laughing, groaning, singing, she couldn't help but smile.

Maybe she wasn't so alone after all. Maybe, just living wasn't such a bad idea. And maybe, with a little luck, she might find the courage to face the mother that raised her.

_Some people need to be happy to live. I just need to live._

She smiled, as Robin's words kept playing in the back of her head, again and again, as she let tears wet her face.


	23. Him and Her

It was already morning when she opened her eyes. The room was clearly visible to her, despite the lack of any candle-light in sight. Rubbing her eyes, she tried to get up, but was unable to. She turned to the side and was met with Flavia's sleeping face and soft snore. She chuckled as she pushed the older woman's arm away. Raimi slept on her left, followed by Olivia. Giving the room a glance, she noticed Basilio slumped on the table and Lon'qu leaning against the wall on the far side, eyes shut close. Robin was sitting at the entrance, resting his back against the open door, staring blankly in front of him. The rolled tobacco jutting out of his mouth was barely burning, releasing thin smoke on the other end.

Cordelia pulled herself up gently, not to wake the women beside her. Stretching her back, she made her way to the entrance.

"Morning," she said.

Robin blinked a few times. Taking the tobacco out of his mouth, he turned his head and smiled. "Hey. Sweet dreams?"

She shook her head. "Not really."

Robin shrugged. "Guess not. At least the snow stopped." He reverted his sight back outside.

Cordelia looked beyond the door and narrowed her eyes. There was a thick layer of snow covering the ground, which sent blinding lights towards them. She lowered her sight, and noticed the opened map, scribbled with red and black ink, alongside a few sheets of paper with Robin's handwriting on them.

"Did you… stay up all night again?"

"Don't worry. I charged them extra for stuff I do after midnight," he said, still looking outside.

Cordelia chuckled. She looked outside again, and saw a Feroxi soldier making way towards them. His footsteps were heavy, as he practically kicked the ankle-high snow off his boots with each one.

"There you are. We've been looking all over for you," he said in-between pants. "The Exalt has been taken. And the Prince had gone after her, with the other pegasus knight."

"What?" Robin rose to his feet.

"We tried stopping him. But you and the Khans were nowhere to be found. He went out about ten minutes ago. And the Sheperds are preparing themselves as we speak."

Robin clicked his tongue. "tell them to stay put." He turned around and looked straight at Cordelia. "I need a favor."

Without a second thought, she nodded.

* * *

"Are you sure they're on this route?"

They flew minutes after the news from the soldier. Cordelia's eyes set on the horizon, Aurora's rein fast secured in her hands. They sped past the snowy part of Ferox not too long ago. The terrain was getting flatter, and the temperature higher as they closed in on Ferox and Plegia's border.

"No," Robin said from behind her. "Knowing Chrom, they'll go after them along the route of the Plegians. We should be able to intercept them following this one."

"And what if you're wrong? Or if Chrom actually caught up with them? Against an army, the two of us won't make that much of a difference."

"Still working on it. Faster."

She tightened her grip on the rein and gave it another snap. She could feel Robin tucked his body closer as Aurora lunged forward.

They flew for roughly for another hour, before the scenery changed once more. It was green on one side, and bone-dried desert on the other. They were flying over Plegia and Yllisse's border now, eyes wide-open for the Prince.

"Slow down, don't want to miss them now… there." Robin's hand came forward from her side.

Cordelia looked at the way he pointed. A single white dot, unmissable on the green background was speeding towards them. She tugged at the rein in her hands. Aurora skidded, changed their direction, and rushed towards the other pegasus.

"Stop it, Chrom. They're long gone into Plegia's soil by now. There's nothing we can do," Robin said as the pegasi met.

"Out of the way, Robin. Cordelia." Chrom looked at her as he called her name.

Cordelia's heart stopped as their eyes met. His stare sent shivers down her spine. She was about to comply, when she felt Robin's touch on her shoulder. Biting her lips, she tightened her grip on Aurora's rein, so tight, she could feel her nails clawing into the flesh.

"Remember, it's one of the possibilities. A calculated risk. We already knew this might happen."

Chrom took out Falchion and pointed at them. "That  _you_ calculated. That you and Emm decided. Without me. Out of the way, Robin."

Cordelia's spine tingled at his words. Her eyes glued on the tip of the royal blade.

"Chrom, don't be foolish." Robin's voice was as calm as ever. "You know Cordelia has more experience with combat."

She broke out of her thoughts when he said her name. Chrom was panting, gritting, grinding his teeth behind Sumia. She imagined her own face was much like her friend's right now, distorted in fear of what would follow, mouth wide agape not knowing what to say.

"Chrom," Robin tried again. "Today's not the day. Let's go back.  _Your people_ are waiting. Remember what Emm said, what  _you_ said. It took her years to win back the people's trust. Abandon them today, and you'll put all those years to waste. And what's worse," as if waiting for any answer from the Prince. "You'll plunge the weight of the nation onto Lissa's shoulders. You'll make her go through  _everything_  Emm had to endure for the two of you."

Chrom blinked. Robin seemed to finally get through. "Robin, Cordelia. I'm… sorry. I just-"

"Chrom." He raised his head when Robin called him once more. "Trust me. She's safe for the time being."

He frowned. "How can you be so sure? Gangrel's mad."

"Yes. He's mad. But he's not stupid. He finally has a bargaining chip."

Chrom's mouth went wide agape. Sumia gasped at Robin's blunt words. Cordelia could only stare at both her friends. Time stood still for the four of them.

Then Chrom nodded. His expression went softer. Back to the Chrom she knew.

"You're right," he said, sheathing his sword. "I'm sorry, Cordelia, I… lost my mind for a moment."

Cordelia let out a relieved sigh and smiled.

"You too, Sumia. Sorry I dragged you into this. And thank you."

She could only stare, and hold her breath as she saw the unmistakable blush on Sumia's face, and the shy smile she had when Chrom put his hand on her shoulder.

* * *

"But why?"

Cordelia raised her brows at Robin's question. She ignored him, and went on to clean up her workspace.

The Sheperds had arrived in Yllistol early that morning. Most of the day was filled with them asking the guards and citizen on the details of Emmeryn's capture. Robin still needed some time to gather his thoughts, so it was decided they would rest for the night and start preparing for Plegia the next day.

Cordelia had asked Chrom's permission to use the barrack's forge, and true to his promise, was granted without any question. She dragged the sack of coal across the room and placed it beside the forge. Finished, she clapped her hands, before finally gave him the answer.

"After the… conversation with Khan Flavia the other night, kinda figured I need a new hobby," she said as she inspected the stone grinder at one end of the room.

"And smithing is the one you came up with?"

She chuckled at his tone. She finally turned around to face him and smiled.

Robin shrugged. "Better than planning revenge all your waking time, I suppose."

Cordelia chuckled some more. "Help me with this table will you?"

They spent another hour tidying up the room, making sure everything in the right place and in the right condition. Cordelia was committing the layout to her mind when she saw Robin staring at the bronze strips she put on the table earlier. She went beside him and looked at them as well, not really sure what she was looking for.

"You're starting with bronze?" he said.

She frowned. "Isn't everybody? I know it's the easiest to work with."

"Well, sure, but it's not really smithing. You just melt the bronze, pour it into the mould, and grind it to shape. And the worst part is," he stuck his face close, "it won't even last a day in a real fight before you need to sharpen again." He rose up and straightened his back, twisted his body a few times. "If you're really serious, you gotta learn how to use those." He pointed to a hammer, leaning against the anvil right next to the forge. "My advice, start with those basic steel ingots. It's harder, sure, but you'll learn faster. And you'll outgrow bronze in no time anyway."

Cordelia raised her eyebrows. "Do you know how to smith?"

"Tried it once, not for me. And I happen to know a guy who knows how to smith."

That brought a smile to her face. They shared a laugh for a moment, until Robin spoke again.

"Well, if there's nothing else,  _milady_ , I need to excuse myself. I have an Exalt to save, and a King to kill. Have fun though."

Cordelia rolled her eyes, and smiled. She waved him goodbye as Robin moved towards the entrance. His back disappeared into the darkness of the night shortly after.

Finally alone, she sighed. She looked at the hammer and the anvil, then to the forge, then to the sack of coal beside it. Letting out another sigh, she started her preparation.

Starting the forge wasn't exactly the hardest thing. Put some coals in the forge, light them on fire, feed coals some more, and wait. Few hours later, Cordelia was staring at a lump of steel ingot, secured at one end of a steel pole, scorching white on the anvil, waiting to be molded as the smith deemed fit. The heat from the forge burned half her body as she stood in silence. Her right hand tightened the grip on the hammer. Taking a deep breath, she raised the hammer high above her head and swiftly brought it down, without planning, without even knowing where to hit.

A dull clank broke the silence of the night. Sparks flew from the lump of white, hot steel as it took the full force of her strike. Sparks that looked like tiny fireballs to her. Just like what she saw that night. Just like what had been haunting her every time she closed her eyes.

Cordelia sniffed, and wiped her eyes and the sweat forming on her forehead. She strengthened her grip on the piece of hard maple in her hand. She raised her hand and started wailing on the bright orange lump. A loud, piercing sound echoed through the room when she missed and hit the anvil instead, which she ignored. She kept on pounding, striking on the piece of metal, without any direction, without any planning.

_Damn it. Damn it. Damn it._

* * *

Robin opened his eyes to find himself back in his room. His right hand stained red. His panting was the only thing he heard in the dim-lit space. With a shivered hand, he put his palm to his chest. His heart was pounding on his ribcages like war drums right before a battle, like it would burst out of him at any given moment. Slowly, he reached a little bit higher, towards the bulge on his chest. Clenching his shirt, along with his birth-mother's ring underneath, he got up. He paced around the room. His bare feet squeezed the carpeted floor with each steps. His right thumb traced the ring hanging from his neck from over his shirt. His ring. His birth-mother's ring. The ring his adopted parents gave to him when they saw him biting his nails a long time ago. He inhaled deeply as he walked around the room, trying to calm himself.

For an instant, he thought he saw himself pointing a peculiar-looking blade to a little girl's neck, sleeping soundly in his arm. A girl so small, so young she couldn't be more than four, five years old. And he was pointing a full-length blade at her.

Robin was no saint. He had done his fair share of questionable deeds, but even he wouldn't do something as despicable as that… would he? His heart burned. His gut twisted as he tried suppressing that particular detail of his dream. The dream that had been haunting him ever since he saw Marth's true face that night. The dream that became more vivid each passing day.

He kept on pacing through the room for a few more minutes, until he finally calmed down enough. He went back to his desk, only to stare at the opened page of his ledger, half-filled with scribbles even he struggled to read, and a bold, red line from the middle to the lower edge. He sighed.

_Great. That's one night down the drain._

He put on his boots and cloak, put out the candle, and walked out into the chilled dawn.

* * *

Cordelia rested herself against one leg of the table, looking at the lump of cold metal on the anvil. The hammer lay still beside her. The blisters on her palm throbbed as the forge slowly lost its heat. The bright orange coals from before pulsed with a steady beat, getting slightly brighter, and slightly duller by the second. The cold air of the early morning, combined with the residual heat was weirdly relaxing. Cordelia found herself breathing alongside the rhythm of the fire. Her shoulders loosened, her eyes became heavier, as grey started to cloud her vision.

"Giving up already?"

The sudden voice made her jumped from her spot. She bit her lips and covered her head following a solid thud from above. Rubbing her crown, she turned around to see Robin looking at her with a cringe on his face.

"Sorry," he said.

She shook her head and crawled out into a safer space. "I… needed a break."

Robin smiled, and walked towards the anvil. She could see the back of his head tilted to the right, then to the left as he looked at it. "Better than my first try. Well, my only try."

She chuckled. "What are you doing here? Didn't you say you were busy or something?"

"Well," Robin turned around and faced her, "I also needed a break," he said as he showed her a basket, with white steam coming out of it. "Breakfast?"

Cordelia smiled and nodded.


	24. A Child's Dream part I

The place was damp. Moldy. Dark. Her only light source was the oil lamp stuck on the wall across the tight corridor from the cell. The fire danced in the stone-walled room, slow and weak, as if one blow from her was all it would take to put it out completely. Black soot dyed the part of the wall as it burned through the day, or night, who could really tell. The only way she knew this was real, and time did move, was when the guard would come and put some new oil into the lamp, along with her food and water for the day.  _She_ thought they were a day's worth.

Emmeryn stared at the pieces of flat bread on the steel plate in front of her. The metal glimmered as the fire moved left and right. She brought the half-filled water skin waterskin to her mouth and took a sip, just enough to wet her parched throat. She rested her back against the cold wall, once again staring at the fire through the rusted steel bars, the few things keeping her sanity intact. If she had to guess, it would be roughly three days since they arrived at Plegia's capital. Being the Exalt, she was separated from Phila and the rest of her convoys. From the lack of sound, saved for some squeaking mice and the guard's metal boots, the solitary confinement she was held must had been at the bottom level of the castle, again, if she had to guess.

She closed her eyes, trying to forget where she was right now. In the darkness of her mind, she wandered back to Yllistol, to both Chrom and Lissa, convincing herself they were in good hands. She could picture him actually running out of the castle, leaving behind a sobbing Lissa when he had heard of her capture. She hoped he wouldn't be so fast, and Robin would be able to get to him on time. She prayed her brother would actually listen to the tactician  _he_ hired. That Robin would be able to reason with him. That Robin would keep his promise to keep her siblings safe.  _Robin._

_The road to hell is paved with good intentions._

She let his words played in her head, over, and over, and over again, like she had been doing this past six years whenever she couldn't have the luxury of her work. In her most private moments, on her own bed, whenever she squeezed the babies' hands in her hall, and in the courtyard, and in the streets of Yllistol, she kept thinking, the kind of hell would be waiting at the end of her life.

And she wondered, would this be the hell he was talking about? And if it was, whose intentions was it paved with? The father that tried to do the right thing, even using the wrong way, or hers, her weakness, her so-called  _kindness_ , which ultimately robbed a nation of its rightful king?

She chuckled. Life of solitude, with dim oil lamp and half-filled waterskin seemed too light for that.

She opened her eyes when she heard a click from the wooden door beside the lamp.

A woman and two guards entered. She stood before her cell, and looked at her from the outside.

The Exalt raised her head. Separated by the iron bars of her cell, they shared a look, silently letting the beat passed as they stared each other.

She was wearing a simple cloak that fell all the way down to her shins, covering almost all of her body. Gold stitching ran through all the edges and the hems, giving a sharp contrast to the dark, purple fabric.  _Purple. Plegia's royal color._ Her long, blonde hair was tied into a loose ponytail, which she brought to the front over her left shoulder and let it hang above her waist. Her bright, blue eyes seemed to shine.

Emmeryn kept staring at her, even as one guard approached the cell and opened the door.

The woman entered, placed a pot that she hid under her cloak down in one corner, and started to collect the pieces of stale, flat bread scattered about. "They told me you barely eat," she said as she handed the plates to the guard. Emmeryn was about to answer, when the woman took the waterskin from her hand, brought it to her ear, and start shaking. "There's barely any left in this thing." She handed it to the same guard, "fill it to the brim, and bring two of those for her."

"But, milady-" the soldier tried to protest, but stopped mid-sentence. She just stared at him, until he finally nodded. "Yes, of course," he said, and walked out of the room, steel plates in one hand, waterskin in the other.

"And you," she turned towards the other man, "go to the armory and bring some blankets here. It's going to get cold tonight." His eyes widened. He stood there, looking at Emmeryn in silence. "Do you really think she can do anything to me right now?"

Emmeryn blinked. She looked slowly at the steel chain around her wrists and ankles, and back at the woman.

The soldier nodded and left as well.

The woman cleared the area right before her, and went back to get the small pot from earlier.

A sweet, fruity smell entered Emmeryn's nostrils as she sat in front of her. It got stronger when the woman opened the lid, and Emmeryn recognized a mixture of apple and cinnamon. She only managed a stare as the woman started stirring its content. The smell got a lot stronger, this time with a hint of milk and honey, and maybe dates coming out of the pot. White steam rose from the edge as she moved her hand.

"I can't guarantee the taste, but it's nutritious, and warm," the woman said as she scooped a half-spoon and gestured it towards the Exalt.

With the spoon floating before her eyes, Emmeryn finally had a good look at the content of the pot. It seemed to be some kind of gruel, soaked in white liquid, clumping together at the edge of the spoon. Small chunks of blacks and whites could be seen among the grayish grains. The smell of apple and cinnamon and milk kept piercing her nostrils, and making her stomach growled, but Emmeryn just stared at it.

She snapped out of her reverie when the spoon suddenly disappeared from her sight. Raising her head, she followed its movement. It kept moving backwards until it ended in the woman's mouth sitting in front of her.

Their eyes met. The woman smiled as she stirred the pot. She scooped another spoonful and gestured it to her once again.

Emmeryn opened her mouth slowly, and the woman gently placed the wooden spoon on her tongue. As she closed her lips, smooth, warm milk filled her mouth. The sweetness expanded inside her. The cinnamon gave a distinct kick to her tongue, clearing her nostrils. She never had something with a similar taste before.

"It's… delicious." For some reason, the warmth inside her mouth and her belly expanded all the way behind her eyes. It was all she could mutter to keep her tears from breaking free. She blinked them away as she gave the woman a smile, now stirring at her pot once more.

She smiled back, gesturing another spoonful at her.

The two guards returned just as Emmeryn finished her meal. The handed the woman things she had asked earlier. She then rested the waterskins against the wall beside the Exalt and put the blankets over her body.

"It's going to get chilly tonight," she said as she tucked the edges of the fabric behind her. Smiling, she gathered her things and made way to the cell door, where the guards were waiting.

Emmeryn blinked. She finally open her mouth when the woman was about to go out of her cell. "Milady, if you have a moment."

The woman stopped and turned to look at her.

As their eyes met, her tongue went numb. She was out of words, only managed a stare at her mysterious guest. The pregnant silent enveloped the room for a few more beats.

"Mina." Emmeryn snapped out of her thoughts when the woman finally spoke. She blinked a few times. "Everyone calls me Mina."

She kept staring at her for a few more seconds, before finally opening her mouth. "Thank you, Lady Mina."

"No." The Exalt frowned at the answer she had gotten. "No  _Lady_ , just Mina." She smiled, and nodded.

Wilhelmina, never losing her smile, gave her a nod, and left.

Alone once again, Emmeryn found herself staring at the ceiling this time, clutching the blanket around her body from under the fabric. Remembering her surprise guest from earlier, she smiled. She did the right thing. Ending her father's war was the right thing to do. She was right. They were wrong. She nodded to herself.

With only time as her companion, her mind wondered out of the cell once more, this time, to when she had just took over the throne. Yllistol was in disarray following a messenger pigeon that had came at dawn. Her father had fallen. The lords and generals were gathering their troops, getting ready to enter Plegian soil.

We need to strike fast, milady, when the Plegians still drunk on their victory, they said. We can't let those Plegians get away with this, they said. Our men needed us, they said.

"Those lowly Plegians are nothing but poison on this blessed earth," he said.

Emmeryn sighed as she remembered the conversation that followed.

"You of all people should know this. They pillage and plunder, even from their own people. Their lords know nothing other than wars and power. They won't recognize peace even if it came knocking on their doors in mid-summer's sun. Do you want that to spread to ours as well?" Lord Ainsworth was her father's closest friend. Sharing her father's… opinion on their next door neighbor. He was the strongest supporter of the former Exalt's campaign. "Your father spent years getting ready for this final attack. This land will finally know true peace when this is over. And you're telling me you'd rather… offer those lowlifes a truce and pour all his effort into the water?"

Emmeryn clenched her robe with both hands. She bit her lower lip as she listened. "Lord Ainsworth, you told me once, we won't know how far we had walked, if we don't stop and look back once in while. I suggest you take your advice. How far do you think we have come?"

Ainsworth said nothing, and frowned.

"We lost half our armies this last ten years. How many husbands, fathers, mothers did we sent, just to chase a shadow we don't even know exist? How many children were left alone, all by themselves just so we could keep our heads high,  _pretending_ we're carrying Naga's will for her blessings? Do you still we are blessed, after what we have done? And my father?" She paused, caught her breath and blinked away the tears creeping behind her eyes. "Dead in a foreign country, killed by those he looked down upon, hated by his own people," she stopped. She bit her lips as she thought about the thing she was going to say next. "Despised by his own children. And you're telling me to send more men to the Plegian soil? One we don't even have any claim to begin with?" She stared at the older man and softened her eyes. "Uncle Ainsworth, I know how you feel, and as a daughter, am grateful for that." She then straightened her back and sharpened her gaze. "But as the Exalt, I cannot share that sentiment. This war, that shouldn't even happen to begin with, has been going longer than necessary. Without a clear victor in sight, and anything to gain, this is just a waste of our time and resources. I am offering them the truce, with, or without your support."

Ainsworth clicked his tongue, and slammed his hands on the table. The books and parchments on it scattered all over, some even fell onto the floor, but the Exalt stilled her eyes on him. He hunched and brought his face right before hers. "I hope you live long enough to see the results of your choice today,  _child._ " He stormed out of the room.

Emmeryn kept staring at the closed door of her office a good long while after he was gone. She let out a sigh of relief, and wiped the tears pooling at the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, when the door creaked open once more.

"Milady," Phila walked towards her, with a frown on her face as the door closed itself shut behind her.

"I'm fine, Phila. Thank you." She gave her a smile.

The knight let out a relieved sigh, and as their eyes met, smiled as well.

Then the door on the left wall, the one leading to her private chamber sprung open as well, revealing another blonde woman at the other side. "I thought he'd never leave." She entered.

Emmeryn chuckled.

Resting against the cold wall, clutching the blanket wrapped around her body, she smiled, remembering the few months she spent with Morgan.

Then a click startled her out of her memory.

The door sprung open, and a soldier entered, steel tray in one hand, and a waterskin in the other. He rested the sack down as he fumbled for the keys to her cell and opened it. He placed the tray in front of her, and Emmeryn couldn't help but notice the additional bowl of clear liquid alongside the usual flatbread. She frowned and looked at him.

"Milady asked us to. Vegetable soup. Not much, but it'll get you warm tonight. Don't waste it."

She kept looking at the steaming liquid, then to the soldier a few times. "Thank you," she finally said, for the first time to the middle-aged man that had been bringing her food and adding the oil into her lamp since she arrived.

The man, clearly stunned, stared at her for a good ten seconds, mouth agape, a frown over his eyes. He nodded, and changed the lighter waterskin with the new one he brought. He added some more oil into the lamp and left.

The door clicked, and Emmeryn was left to herself again.

She took the bowl into her hands. The chain around her wrists clanked as she moved them and took a sip from the edge of the container. The soldier was right. Warmth came back inside her as the slightest hint of carrots and peas and peppers travelled down her throat into her belly.  _Farmer's Gift_ , they called it. At least, that was what Morgan called it. A different kind of warmth seeped behind her eyes as she took another sip of the familiar taste.

Morgan used to make it all the time during her stay in Yllistol. Emmeryn met the Plegian girl just a few months before she took the throne, when she went to the border of Plegia, seeking the Kingmakers' Chief of Operations, the Silver Sanctum's Little Bird.


	25. A Child's Dream part II

It was just after a full-day's rain. The night was dark, and their only light source was the torch carried by their guide, walking a good twenty paces ahead. Emmeryn clutched and raised the hem of her blouse slightly, just enough to ease her steps on the damp, muddy path.

"Please be careful, milady."

Phila's voice sounded to her right. Without thinking, she flashed her a reassuring smile, though she couldn't tell if the knight could see it. She herself barely made out five paces before her. If not for the small ember, now getting further and further away from them, it wouldn't take much to convince her she was blind.

She took another step when she felt Phila's arm across her chest. She stood still as a rock, trying to make any other sounds amidst the croaking frogs and rustling leaves.

"Do not worry," the voice of their guide broke the monotony of the night. She looked at the single orange dot in her dark surrounding. "We have entered the Sanctum's territory not too long ago. I guarantee you, there will be no spy from  _either_ side here. But we should hurry just the same, if we were to make it back before dawn."

"Y, yes. Of course." She grabbed Phila's hand and picked up their face.

They walked for another hour through the forest, until she finally felt like she was walking on solid ground again. Their guide stopped before an opening of a cave. He waved the torch a few times in front of them so she could see it.

"Put your left hand on the wall and keep walking." He turned towards them and continued. "Just keep walking until you reach the end, and stomp on the ground three times. The password is 'little bird hasn't come home yet'. I will be waiting here."

She nodded, and was about to enter, when Phila stopped her.

"Allow me." She walked past her and put her left hand on the wall. She gestured her other hand at her.

Emmeryn squinted to see Phila's barely visible hand. She gently put hers on top, and slowly, they entered.

* * *

It took them some time to get use to losing their only light source, so the first few minutes after entering were painfully slow. They moved through a few loops and corners until they finally met a dead end.

Phila looked at her, and she nodded. Taking a deep breath, the knight stomped on the ground three times, just as instructed.

She raised her brows and looked around when three hollowed knocks echoed through the entire cave. A complete silence stilled the time for her. She stilled Phila's hand a little stronger, uncertain of what was coming.

And then another set of three knocks echoed once more, this time from beneath the ground. She jumped on her spot ever so slightly. Her heart pounded on her ribcage from the sudden jolt. It took while until she finally realized they were standing on a slab of wood. Her head went blank as she stared at the floor, barely different from the rest of the ground.

Then the three knocks echoed once more.

That seemed to get her out of her thoughts. She took a deep breath, and said the words.

"Take three steps back." A voice rose out from below.

They looked at each other for a moment and went back five steps.

The floor made a clicky sound, and sprung open before them. She had to close her eyes to avoid getting blinded by the sudden light pouring out of the hole. Phila let go of her hand and moved forward. She looked inside and went down.

* * *

She gasped, and her eyes widened as she got down the ladder. Comparing it to the 'land' above, a stark contrast would be an understatement. While the outside was dark and dusty and full of any shrubs and critters, just like any other cave, the inside would not be out of place in a castle. The floor, and the walls, and the ceilings were made of limestone, smoothed and polished she could even see her reflection in them. Oil lamps, in gold and silver holders decorated both walls.

A small object on her right pulled her away from the awe. She turned her head to find an old man pointing his finger down the tight corridor.

An Anna was standing a good twenty paces before them. Her smile was brighter than the lights bouncing off the floors and the walls and the ceilings.

She looked at Phila, nodded, and took another deep breath. They moved towards the redhead as a creak and a click sounded behind them.

"Welcome to the Sky Tavern," the Anna said, not even dropping her smile as they approached her. "A place that doesn't exist, for the people that will never be," she added.

She nodded.

Anna turned around and started moving. They followed in silence.

They walked for a few more minutes when she noticed the sound of people talking further ahead. It got noisier with each step. She pulled her hood further down her face, readying herself for what was coming.

A door-less entrance waited for them at the end of the corridor. Emmeryn raised her head to get a better view of the room before them. Her eyes widened as her jaw dropped to the polished lime floor. Her breath stopped.

Just like the corridor, the room seemed to be carved straight in the mountain. It was a feasting hall, with shiny, polished walls littered with wooden tables and chairs. A counter that seemed to be made also from limestone was at one end. Another Anna, visibly older, with some age-lines on her face and a few strands of grey in her red locks shouted something at one of the customers sitting at the far end of the counter, smiling, while she poured a drink for another sitting right in front of her.

Emmeryn moved her eyes from one end to the other. She felt the edge of her mouth curled upwards slowly, and a subtle heat pooling behind her eyes.

_The people that will never be._

Men, women, even children were in that room, chatting, drinking, dancing, and fighting. And yet, everything seemed so peaceful to her eyes.

At one table, a seemingly well-mannered man, wearing a pleaded shirt and worn-out cloak poured a drink for an older lady, dressed in bright blue linen dress. He just let out a sheepish smile as she pointed at both of his hands holding the bottle of wine, with nothing but the affective look of a mother.

Then laughter from another table caught her attention. Five men sat around a small table, talking and laughing with each other. One of them was carving a whole lamb and distributing them to the rest. It was hard for her not to stare when the full-armored man, bearing Naga's emblem on his chest placed a cut of meat on the of the man wearing a berserker's helm and bear coat sitting next to him. Another Anna approached the table and slammed a jug of clear, amber liquid on it, grinning as she took a few silver coins from them.

At a corner in the back, well-separated from the commotion upfront, two women seemed to be teaching some children how to read. A few of the youngest sat on the lap of the older ones. Their eyes never broke free from the Ylissean sage, pointing her finger at an opened book in front of them. Their mouths moved after she moved hers. The other woman, wearing the headdress of a Plegian dark mage sat right in the middle of the group, wrapping her arms around the little girl on her lap and rocked their bodies together as she said the words alongside them.

And then another booming laughter from the other end of the room caught her attention. It was the biggest table in the lot. Everyone was beating their wooden mugs on it. "Chug! Chug! Chug!" they chanted, as their eyes focused on the young woman standing at the head of the table.

That was the first time she saw Morgan. She had a pint in her hand and raised it as high as her nose. The crowd cheered as she brought it to her mouth and finished it in one breath. They clapped and knocked their mugs harder as she flipped hers upside down. A few droplets fell onto the floor. She tossed the mug lightly at the table and took a bow.

Emmeryn didn't know her at the time, but Flavia went beside Morgan and slung an arm around her neck. She raised her glass, shouted something at the crowd, and finished hers in one breath as well.

An even bigger cheer broke out. Morgan just smile as an Anna walked around the table, holding a hat upside down, grinning from ear to ear.

Firm tugs on her shoulder jolted Emmeryn out her reverie. She turned her head only to find Phila staring at her with a concern look in her eyes. She smiled and looked to their guide. The redhead smiled back and gestured for them to follow her.

They walked through the crowded hall to the far corner of the room, where Robin curled himself into a ball as he watched the event at the far front.

"Knock, knock," Anna said. Robin raised his head, looked at Phila for a few seconds, and turned his eyes back to the redhead. "You got visitors."

He nodded. "And a very special one at that." He got up, stretched a few times, and fished a silver coin from his purse. He flicked it forward and Anna caught it mid-air, with a genuine smile on her face. She gave the trio a smile and went towards the counter.

Emmeryn and Phila followed Robin into a small, dark room near the corner he was sitting. This room was a sharp contrast to the one before. It was dusty, and the floor was uneven. The only light sources it had came from outside and a single oil-lamp on the table in the center. She could barely make the outlines of chair surrounding it.

"You have to excuse the mess. We're still expanding," Robin said as he walked about the room, not in the least distracted by the lack of light, and put three wooden mugs on the table. "Please, have a seat." He gestured at the chairs and disappeared into the darkness once more.

Emmeryn and Phila took their place at one end of the table. The knight's palm rested lightly on the handle of her sword.

"So," Robin dropped a jug of ale on the table and took a seat at the opposite side, "what can a Plegian mercenary do for the Crown Princess of Ylisse?"

Her eyes widened. Phila lunged forward and pointed her blade towards him. The steel glimmered as the fire twitched from her sudden movement.

"Oh, don't be surprised. It's my job to know these sorts of things." Robin barely moved, even as the blade hanged inches from his nose. He touched the tip of the sword with his finger and pushed it out of his line of sight. "And do you really think this is wise?"

"Phila," Emmeryn said. The knight looked to her, blade still hanging across the table. "We should at least let him know our proposition." Phila nodded. She retracted her sword and moved behind her once more.

"If you're here to convince to stop going after your father, forget it." Robin started pouring the ale into the mugs. "Everything is set. Even if you offered us twice the pay, there's nothing you can do about it. Well, I guess you can always go back and warn him, but it still won't do him any good either. The Sanctum always delivers." He pushed a mug right before her.

She shook her head. "I'm here to offer you a job."

"Which is?" Robin didn't even look at her as he pushed one mug to the side of the table and started pouring into the last one.

She looked at the drink before her, and took a deep breath. She needed to do this. She had to do this. She straightened her back, and stared straight ahead.

"The throne of Ylisse. I want it."

With that, Robin finally stopped what he was doing. He put the jug back and looked at her. "You're not laughing."

"I'm not joking."

Then he smiled.

He dragged his mug all the way to his side, took a sip, and rested his back against his chair. "You know, all throughout the history, it was the hubris of men that proved to be their downfall." He took another mouthful. "The conqueror thought he deserved more, so he simply took whatever he wanted, not realized he'd bitten more than he could chew. The avenger wanted justice, and in seeking it, he became the very thing he despised. The… messiah thought he was doing everyone a favor, getting rid of the world of its taints. In the end, he tainted the world in his own color." Tracing his finger along the edge of his mug, he looked at her. "Which one are you?"

Emmeryn thought long and hard about her answer. If she was to tell the truth, she didn't have any. And if she was to be totally honest, she didn't care either way.

"The war," she said, "the war has been going on for so long now, I barely remember what it was like back then. It's been going on for so long, Ylisse's treasury is nothing but an empty room filled with dusty crates right now. The farmers can't afford a decent meal after a day under the sun. Hunters could only stare at the forest, their tools gathering rust in the shed. And no more children running around in the yard or helping their folks in the field. And the worst of all? This war has been going on for so long I don't think my father even remembers why he raised it in the first place." Robin didn't say a word. She lowered her head and looked at the oil-lamp on the table. Its fire moved gracefully about in its small confinement, the only thing telling her time was still moving in the world. The commotion outside suddenly felt distant, and the silence overbearing. She took a deep breath and raised her head again.

"This fire has been burning both countries for so long now. I'm not a general, so I don't know which direction the wind is blowing, but even I can tell, at this rate, scorched earth and white ash will be the only thing for the victor."

"And you think  _you_ on the throne can stop that from happening? That when the tyrant is usurped and a benevolent queen took his place, things will go like it used to be? And this land will finally know the true meaning of peace?"

She chuckled. "You may think of me as one of those sheltered princesses they have in fairy-tales, and you would be right. Until tonight, I hadn't taken a step out of the capital. I may not know the world as well as you do, but even I am not that naïve. This war has been a part of everyone's life for more than ten years now. You can't take that away one day and expect things to change the next. In fact, I don't even think I'll live long enough to see the true peace comes to this land. But unless we do something about it, nothing will change."

"Admirable." Robin smiled. He put down his mug and rested his elbows on the table. His face came close to the center. His eyes glowed from the reflection of the fire. "The idealists always think for the good of the people. Of their own. Of their enemies. And like ripples formed when you throw a stone into a lake, they think a single thing can change the whole world. That others will continue their legacy even as they lay dying on their bed, in their home, surrounded by the loved ones." He shook his head. "The world isn't as black and white as you think, princess. You're only seeing what this war did to half of the people, you forgot about the other half. Your kindness had blinded you. This war has been going on for so long it has become a lifeline for some. The nobles need this war to keep their serfs and people in check. The soldiers go to the frontlines for the promised glory and lordships. The bandits never come close for fear of the fortified border. The mercenaries stay as mercenaries by the coins from the royal coffers. Do I need to go further? You see, you can preach of love and forgiveness, you can dream of unity and peace all you want, it still won't change a single thing. Because in the end, when everything is said and done, it's all about who get what."

Emmeryn froze in her seat. Her jaw dropped and her eyes bulged as she listened to him, as she watched he rested his back against the chair once again.

"Go home, princess. Plotting in the shadows doesn't suit you. And if you still have eyes on the throne, stay alive a few more months. It'll be yours soon enough, and you'll get to keep your conscience."

She had failed. Of all the things she thought he'd say, not once did it cross her mind he'd crushed her like that.

She laughed bitterly. He didn't even give her a chance. There she was. After weeks of planning, trying to get herself in the same room as the only people that might have an idea of how to stop the war, and the only thing she could do was laugh.

Suddenly the sound of her breathing was the only thing she heard. The room went dark. Her eyes set on the wooden mug before her, filled to the brim with some kind of amber liquid.

"No," she said, softly at first. "No!"

She raised her head, grabbed the mug, and downed its content in one breath. She smashed the empty container onto the table, stood up, and went over. Her cheeks heated up from the oil-lamp burning inches from her face.

"I admit, I never think of it that way. And frankly, I'd rather not. To think that this war has become such a necessary thing for some people is just… wrong. You're right. I know nothing about the rules of this world. But is that such a bad thing? Is it wrong for me to think that people helped each other just because they wanted to? Just because it's the right thing to do? You may think of me as naïve, childish even, but I won't stop believing in the goodness of people just because you said so. This world might not be as good as I think it is, but it's not as bad as you make it out either."

Robin didn't say a single word. His mouth closed shut as he stared at her. And all of a sudden, she felt her cheeks heated up again for a different reason.

She was about to apologize for the outburst, when a clapping sound caught her attention. She retracted her body and turned around. Phila already had her sword out, crossing the blade over her chest.

The second time she saw Morgan, the girl smiled at her.

"You know, out of all people I've seen coming here, you're the most interesting. Preaching about peace and kindness to a mercenary in the middle of a war."

"What do you want?" Robin sighed as Morgan pulled a chair from the dark corner of the room and brought it to the table.

"I've been listening."

"No."

"You haven't heard what I'm going to say yet."

Robin stared at her in silence. He crossed his arms over his chest and rested his back against his chair. Emmeryn didn't know what to do, or say at the new development. With her jaw still on the floor, she took her seat and watched.

Morgan smiled. "Send me."

"No."

She pouted. "Ugh, you're no fun. Come on, it's not like the hardest thing in the world. She's going to get the throne anyway. Might as well make a few coins out of it. I beg you, Robin. I'm dying of boredom here."

"It's enemy territory."

She waved a finger at him. "That Sanctum doesn't have enemies or allies. It's customers and jobs, remember? And besides, I'm sure she'll do everything to make sure my safety, won't you princess?" She looked at Emmeryn from the corner of her eyes.

Her head went blank for a moment from the sudden change of events. Her mouth stayed open as she registered the question in her mind. She blinked a few times, and finally answered.

"Y,yes. Of course. If you would help us, I will do everything I can to-"

"See?" Morgan looked at Robin as she took the mug intended for Phila to her mouth. She never got a single sip when Robin took it from her hand and placed it back on the table.

"What's the play?" he said.

"The Plegian Priest."

"No way."

Morgan frowned. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temple with her finger for a few moments until her smile came back. Her eyes glowed when she opened them back. "The Royal's Shadow," she said, beaming with excitement.

Robin raised his eyebrows. He bit his lips and ruffled his hair.

"Come on," she poked his shoulders a few times. "I've been doing it longer than you, you know. I'll be fine. You of all people should know, she won't be able to do a thing if she got the throne normally. The players will change, but the game won't. At least if she succeeded, there'll be actual peace in this land for once."

Robin sighed. He moved his eyes from Morgan towards Emmeryn.

"We'll take the job, and we always deliver. You will get the throne of Ylisse, with all its powers still intact when we finished."

Emmeryn couldn't believe what had happened. She wanted to smile, but her eyes heated up for some reason. "Thank you," she said, "thank you so much."

Robin nodded. "And there's one thing you should know."

* * *

It had been two weeks since she went to the strange tavern looking for the Kingmakers. Robin sent them back without giving them a single peek about their next course of action, just his words that the Sanctum would help her, and a lot of questions for her to answer.

A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts. It opened slowly, revealing Phila on the other side. She smiled at her as the knight saluted.

"Very sorry to disturb you, milady, but Lord Annsell is expecting you."

She frowned, nodded, and gestured for Phila to lead.

They made their way to the main hall of the castle, where the throne was located and also where the Exalt used to meet the people to hear their problems. It had become the place where her father would hear the news from the frontlines since a few years ago.

Her father was talking to a few of his generals when she entered. She walked towards them, bowed, and waited behind him.

He turned around and gave her a stare. "You're late," he said, and shifted his eyes towards Phila.

"I am very sorry, father. I was resting. Phila had to enter and wake me up herself."

"Never mind. Follow me. I have something for the two of you."

They followed him towards the main entrance, where a girl was waiting. She wore a plain dress and had her head down so people wouldn't see her face. A few strands of blonde hair crept out from the edge of the scarf she had covering the top of her head.

"One of my friends gifted her to me. She's blonde, and about your age. She'll buy you some time if anything should happen."

The hinted use of the girl made her gasped. "But father-"

"You're the Exalt's daughter!" Emmeryn was silenced. "She's just a slave girl, whose parents died a long time ago. Nobody would miss her if she went missing all of a sudden." She had to bit her lips just to prevent her from lashing at her father. She clenched her blouse tight in her hands as she listened to him. "What's your name, child."

The girl answered and raised her head.

Emmeryn's eyes widened.

The third time she met Morgan, she finally knew her name.


	26. A Child's Dream part III

"Were you really born with it? It won't disappear if I scrub it, right?"

Emmeryn chuckled at the question. Since that night, Mina would visit her every few days, with different kinds of Plegian dishes and some new about Phila and the others. Just as she suspected, they were kept at the ordinary prison in the castle's compound. And apparently, hers was a modified room the Grimleal priests used when they need to get in touch with their inner minds. The Grimleals had moved to a different part of Plegia ever since their new leader took over some twenty plus years ago. The room was left unused since.

She blinked when she felt a gentle poke on her forehead. "I assure you, it's as real as you and me." She smiled. "It won't disappear just from wiping it with damp cloth. Although, I do appreciate it if you could be gentler."

Mina shrugged. "As you wish, lady." She gave her a mock salute and soaked a piece of cloth in the bucket beside her.

Emmeryn chuckled.

That freedom of doing whatever she wanted, and the lack of common sense for personal space really reminded her of Morgan.

* * *

Morgan was a peculiar girl she had the pleasure of calling her friend. Whether she adopted those peculiarities because of her line of work, or was born with it, Emmeryn could not tell. All she knew was that it was the first time she met someone like her.

Even without any mask, and in broad daylight of the summer's day, the Plegian girl was a master of disguise. That first day, she arched her back and lowered her head in front of her father. She paced herself a few steps behind Phila, and cowered in her shadow whenever they walked pass the other maidservants in the castle. But the moment they entered her room, she straightened her back as soon as the door closed, tossed her shoes, and climbed on the only bed in there like she owned the place.

"You know, I always thought a princess room would have… more," she said as she rocked the bed with her entire body.

Phila was fuming. Emmeryn had to grab her hands just so she could not draw her sword and ended their alliance on the first day, not to mention making a new enemy when they were trying to end a war.

"It is more than I need." She rubbed Phila's hands gently as she smiled at her.

Morgan brought herself up and sat on the bed. She stared at her for a few moments. "So, what can you tell me about the power players in Ylisse?"

Emmeryn stood silent as the smiled faded away from her face. She clasped Phila's hands in hers as she looked at Morgan. "Not much. My father never talked about the war to me, aside from the consequence if I'm captured. His campaign does have a number of supporters, mostly from the nobles. Of them, I would say Lord Aisnworth is the most influential. He has known my father the longest, and seemed to gain his trust over the years. That's all I know. I'm sorry."

"You're new. I'm not surprised even if you can't tell me anything. But you should start learning about this sort of things if you were to govern this country. Nothing makes a worst ruler than a gullible king." Morgan closed one eye and rubbed her temple with her finger. "Time to go shopping I guess."

With a wicker basket in one hand, Morgan dragged her and Phila to the evening market in the capital's square, if one would still call it that. It had stopped being a proper one just a few months after her father's campaign started. Nowadays, it was so packed and crowded it would be hard to even see the full width of the street, but back then, a few stalls selling wild fruits and dried meats were all they had. One of the Anna sisters would stop by every few months, but no one could afford the things she brought, and there wasn't anything of value for her to trade anyway.

Emmeryn dreaded the next few months from now, when the heat of war would arrive at Ylisstol doorstep for the second time, and the busy streets of the capital would go back to those days.

Morgan's eyes widened as she looked at the few stalls they had. "Robin said Ylisses's market's nothing to write home about, but this is great. Could use a few more stalls, sure, but Plegia's is dusty, and hot… and dusty you can't find a loaf of bread without sand on it." She leapt towards the nearest stall.

Emmeryn watched as she went further away from them. She took a deep breath and followed. Phila stuck close to her side, one hand on the hilt of her sword.

Morgan had two apples in her hands when they approached, a green and a red one. She rocked both of them up and down, as if weighing them. She hummed a few times and asked the price. The middle-aged woman tending the stall gave them a crooked look, which Morgan seemed to not see, before she finally answered.

Morgan grinned. She paid her, took out a knife, and cut the red one on the spot. She squealed as she put one slice in her mouth, praising its sweetness, much to the woman's delight. She never smiled, but her posture and expression went soft at the Plegian's action.

"Seriously, this is really good," she said in-between chews, as she cut another slice, "here, try this, Emm."

Emmeryn stared at the sliced fruit in Morgan's hand. She then turned to look at the middle-aged woman. She smiled, took the apple, and put it in her mouth.

It was tasteless. The flesh was soft and mushy, and the skin was dry. It was at least watery enough to wet her throat.

She gave her a smile as she chewed.

The women ignored her when Morgan started talking.

Emmeryn just looked and listened as the conversation moved from one topic to another. From the wild apples she collected to her injures husband and their two children, from the city to their unattended farm… from their province to the ruling lord.

It amazed her how easy it was for Morgan, a Plegian, to strike up a conversation with her own people, something she had been trying to do for months now. When she finished, she did it again with another stall. And then another one. She kept at it for ten days straight, subtly getting anything she could on the nobles on her father's council.

And for ten days straight Emmeryn followed her. She found herself actually talking to them as well by the end. They were nothing more than pleasantries between a lord and her subjects, but they meant everything to her. They were still willing to put their trust on the royal family. The land could still be saved.

If she could end the war.

* * *

Emmeryn opened her eyes when the door creaked. Mina smiled at her as a guard opened the door to her cell.

She smiled back.

The guard left them alone after he opened the cell, as always. Mina placed the pot she had on the floor and searched for something under her robe. She produced a piece of folded paper and handed it to her.

"It's from the captain of your escort."

Emmeryn thanked her and gave another smile. She clasped the letter in her hand and continued to look at the Plegian princess readying their meal for the night.

Despite being wrapped in her usual dark purple cloak, Mina looked especially lovely tonight. Her lips were red and full, her eyes glittered as she worked the pots with ease, and pink tinge dyed both her cheeks.

She looked for a few more moments before she unfolded the paper.

* * *

"Here."

It had been a month since Morgan came to Ylisstol. The day before was the last day they went out to town in search of intelligence. Purpose aside, Emmeryn did enjoy their outings those days. Even if she had to endure the crooked looks and sour faces of some of the older folks, she accomplished more in those four weeks than the past year. And for all its worth, they did open up to her eventually. They started talking about their problems by the end, although it took her a few more years to get them to smile during their conversation.

Emmeryn looked at the piece of paper Morgan put over the tome she was studying. She frowned at the few names she recognized, and even more that she didn't. She raised her head back towards Morgan.

"It's your father's army."

She frowned in silence.

Morgan sighed. "Strictly speaking, Ylisse doesn't have an army big enough to maintain a war this size for this long." She plopped herself on the chair at the other side. "Most of the soldiers now come from the nobles' private men or the mercenaries they hired to guard their estate. They supplied your father the army he needs, in exchange for his trusts and favors, tax exemption most likely, which makes the royal coffer stays dry, and no help can be given to the people when they need it. And he needs more soldiers to control the unhappy folks from revolting, so that means more tax exemption." She paused. "You see where your problem is?"

It was her turn to sigh. "So the world is apparently as black as he made it out to be. I'm just too blind to see it. I'm assuming with all the favors they've been giving my father these past few years, his power is divided among them as well, and he's just a figurehead now?"

"Not quite. He's still the one calling the shots, and the royal soldiers will moved with him, but the mercenaries won't budge without pay. And when the army half-filled with them now, with more to come, it won't be good for the crown if for whatever reason, the nobles just. Stopped. Paying."

"And even if he… died, and I took to the throne, I still can't stop this war without dividing the army in half and risking a civil war…"

She sighed again, and closed her book. "So this is all for nothing then? No wonder he refused me. I guess this war only ends when one side is gone."

"You know, for a champion of all things holy and just in this world, you Ylisseans really are a negative bunch."

Emmeryn pushed her brows together and stared at Morgan.

"We're the Kingmakers. Have some faith, will you?"

"I would, but look at this." She took the piece of paper and shoved it to Morgan's face. "Almost every noble in the country gave their men to his cause. They're going to want something out of this. And a burning land is better than no land at all."

"Are you sure you're  _the_ Princess Emmeryn? Because from what I heard, she's this calm and soft-spoken princess from a fairy tale. Very different from you right now."

She blushed. Placing the paper back on the table, she slouched on her chair and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm my father's child after all."

Morgan chuckled. "Right now, the military and the nobles do control most of the power in Ylisse. But soldiers and nobles are only half of what makes a country, and the smaller half at that."

Emmeryn frowned at her words. She refused to say another word after that, opting to make some tea instead. The room was filled with cheery hums as she thought long and hard.

"The people…" she said softly, just as Morgan placed a pot and three cups on the table.

"Now you're thinking like a king," she said as she poured the liquid. "We need the people to rally behind you before Robin finalize his plans. It won't get you complete control over the country, but it should check the army and buy us enough time to plan our next move. Tea?"

Emmeryn sat slack jawed as she took cup from the still humming Morgan.

* * *

"You want what?"

The Exalt hissed at her. His eyes bulged out of their sockets. His jaws clamped shut. His face red with anger.

Emmeryn whimpered in the corner of the room. Every eye was on her, and yet she could only sent hers to the floor.

"We're in the middle of a war," he said after a few moments of silence, "and you're asking me for five thousand gold to waste on the common folk. Do you know how many soldiers we can feed with five thousand gold?"

She gulped, and slowly raised her head. "Yes, fa-milord. I am well aware of the fact, but the people are starving. With the war reaching its peak as it is, I just thought a simple gesture from us would strengthen their support. Just a taste of something to look forward to when the war actually ends."

"And should the Plegians choose to attack when we're having this… simple gesture, we'd be the laughing stock of the world for actually feasting in the middle of the war. And what's next? Another five thousand for next month. Perhaps ten thousand for the upcoming winter? How can you know about good governance, when you don't even know how the common folks think? Once they taste free food, they'll keep coming back for more. And now is hardly the time for generosity. The people should support their leader no matter what. They should be grateful we're not increasing the taxes."

"Father, please. I have identified a few trade routes we can use for sustenance. I just need the money once."

"Ah, so you're not asking five thousand for the people. You're asking so you could gamble them away in this new venture of yours. Something you're not even discussing with me."

Emmeryn bit her lips. She could not think of any other words for him. Not when she knew the state of the treasury. She let the pregnant silence lingered in the room.

"If I may," Lord Ainsworth broke the still air. He looked at her with his usual calmness. "I personally think it is a fine idea for Princess Emmeryn to wet her toes in this trade if she is truly willing. If anything, it would give her the much-needed experience she sorely lacks. And should she succeed, we might be able to silence some of those unsavory things they're saying about us these days."

The Exalt looked at him. "Even if you're right, the treasury can't afford to spend that kind of money right now. Not when we're so close to their capital."

"Then I shall lend her the money." Lord Aisnworth never waited for her father to response. He turned to her, lowered his gaze to her level, and put both hands on her shoulder. "Remember this, child. Men are fickle creatures. If you succeed, you might get a few more support from them, but should you fail, they'll just see you as the princess who's blinded by a dream she forgets to wake up."

Emmeryn nodded. "I… understand, Lord Ainsworth. Thank you." She gave him and her father a bow and left the room.

Phila and Morgan waited for her beyond the door.

She sighed heavily as she threw herself into Phila's arm.

"That went well," Morgan said as she gave her head a gentle pat.

* * *

Morgan was a miracle-worker. Or to be more accurate, a miracle-trader. Emmeryn entrusted the five thousand gold to her, and it doubled in just a week. They used half of the earning to open a feast and buy some food and put the remaining half into another trade.

The feast would be done in stages, starting with the folks in Ylisstol and the nearby area. They slaughtered and roasted three deers, brought in specifically from Ferox for the occasion. They baked fresh bread from the grains Morgan brought back. There were cakes and honey-coated beans for the children, and some wines and ales for the adults. The Exalt was even generous enough to lend them the royal bards, although that might be for the fear of losing face to her, but she did not care. It had been a long time since she had seen that much people in the street of the capital.

It wasn't the biggest of event. They only lined some tables in the streets and town's square. They couldn't even afford a canopy in case the weather turned sour. But it was a success nonetheless. People danced to the bards, drank and sang with each other. Children ran and played again that night. Some adults even started fighting among themselves, most likely from having too much to drink, but nothing the royal guards could not handle and a night in the cell could not cure. Everyone returned home with a bag of wheat, enough food to last a mid-sized for a few months.

With the supplies steadily coming in, they were able to do the feast every other week, changing the location to a different part of the country each time. And their actions garnered more and more support as time passed. Some of the nobles would contribute more meats or wines for the feast. Some folks that already received their portion would bake breads and cakes using their own ration for the next event. And they started over from Ylisstol when they had visited every region in the country.

It was the end of the second cycle. They went to Southtown that day. Emmeryn couldn't help but smile as the three of them watched the feast from the side. She should had stayed silent and kept smiling, but she had to know.

"Thank you, Morgan," she said, "for everything. And… I know it's not my place to pry, but would you tell me what you're trading with the money?"

Morgan only stared at her in silence.

"I'm sorry. I just…"

Morgan smiled and swallowed her drink. "Money rains when there's blood on the street." She brought her mug to her mouth again.

Emmeryn gasped. The implied meaning behind those words crushed her. She opened her mouth for more explanation, but was cut by the Plegian.

"No more question," she said.

She did not sleep that night. She kept thinking of what Morgan had done for the money and supplies. And then she recalled what Robin had said the night they met.

"Let me tell you something, princess. A lot of people want this war to end. And even more want it to continue. Either way, people will die before this thing finally ends. If you're still set on coming to this side, some of those bloods will be on your hands. Their deaths may come from my blade, or her tomes, or her spear, but your hands will be one of the ones holding it."

She knew exactly what he meant that night. And she had been preparing herself for when the realization finally kicked in since then. Or so she thought.

She didn't sleep for a week after that night in Southtown.

They arrived in Ylisstol just three days after wrapping things up in Southtown. They would start again in the capital for the next one, but her excitement soon died just as they went through the gates. Emmeryn couldn't believe what she heard.

Her father was right.

Right after they left, Southtown was ran over by bandits. The Exalt had waited at the gates of the capital just to tell her the news.

"They must've been waiting for the feast to be over and the rations divided. Southtown doesn't even have trained guards right now. We must do something," she said. How could she be so foolish? Robin had warned her. Her father pretty much told her what would happen. And still…

"No, we will not." The answer crushed her. She couldn't breathe. Her whole body froze, and for an instant, all she could see was red. "You brought this on them. You will fix it yourself. I will grant you a company from my army, and that's all the help you will get from me." He paused. "Look at me."

Her head weighted a full bag of wheat as she struggled to raise it.

"Ainsworth was right. It's a good chance for you to learn something." He paused again, and brought his face directly in front of her. "Everything has consequences. Be it good or bad, anything you do comes with one. And you will learn to live with it for the rest of your life." He turned and left, leaving her kneeling on the ground, without ever looking back again.

A century might had passed before she finally had the guts to face Phila and Morgan. They spent another century staring at each other when Morgan finally broke the silence.

"This is more of Robin's specialty, but if you do want to go back, I'll do everything I can. Your call."

They went back to Southtown that evening, taking only the necessary supplies, leaving everything at the gates.

* * *

The battle was a mess. The company they got was no more than a bunch of militias gathered by lesser nobles and youths drafted from nearby villages as reserves for the army. They were in every sense of the word, new recruits. Barely enough gears, hardly trained, and never had even a proper mock battle before. Morgan did a good job directing the fight, but if not for the few retired veterans that volunteered for her, their victory might come at steeper price. And as much as she was grateful for all the help they got, Emmeryn couldn't help but yearned for more.

They stayed for a few more days after the battle. They buried their deads, counted the livings, and healed the injureds. Some of the men took turns guarding the village alongside the soldiers, in case of a second attack.

After doing everything she could for the injured villagers, making sure they were well taken care of, Emmeryn head back to the room they were staying, at the insistence of the chief. Morgan and Phila were already there, slumped over each other on the ridiculously small bed. Despite everything that happened, she couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. She went over and laid herself beside Phila, further adding to the crampness of the bed. The knight wanted to leave, but she managed to get her to rest. They stayed like that for the whole night. It was cramp and hot, and she barely had any room left on her side before she'd fall off to the floor. She imagined Morgan's side was the same as well. The bed was hard. Bugs buzzed all over the room. And yet it was the most relaxing time she ever had since she asked Morgan about the coins.

"Hey, Morgan?" She could barely hear herself amidst Phila's soft controlled breathing. Without waiting for any answer, she continued. "How much does it take to maintain an army?'

It took a good long while before she got an answer. She thought Morgan was already asleep, so she kept staring at the ceiling. A bug was trapped in a spider's nest at the corner of the beam. She kept staring as it continued to struggle out. The spider, sensing something in its nest, showed itself and moved slowly towards the bug.

She was so caught up in the scene she didn't hear when Morgan called her the first time.

"Emm," Morgan whispered. "It's rude to wake someone in the middle of the night and go to sleep yourself."

That brought her out of her reverie. She apologized.

"Why do you want to know?"

She thought about the question, and failed to come up with anything, so she simply answered, "I want one."

Morgan chuckled. Phila groaned softly and tossed around for a moment. Emmeryn stopped breathing just she wouldn't wake her.

"With our money right now, I think we could afford a small company. The size your father gave us. Probably double that if you're willing to cut back on the rations for the villagers."

She felt her face lit up in the darkness of the small room. She was about to open her mouth, but Morgan just kept talking.

"But the problem is not the money. We're at the end of a war. Do you think there's any able-bodied soldier in Ylisse not under your father's banner right now?"

Emmeryn stayed her tongue, only for an instance when something came up in her head. Without even thinking, she said it.

"The villagers." She jumped out of the bed to get a good look at Morgan. She was staring at her, eyes glistened from the moonlight bleeding in from the opened windows. "I don't want soldiers my father can just force into his army. I only need men I can trust not to abandon their kin at the first sight of danger. We'll find some volunteers first, and train them."

"Villagers don't need to fight. That's what the soldiers are for."

"They have to when all the soldiers flowed out of the country like a broken dam. And you said it yourself, I need to get the people to back me up to check the nobles. The villagers will get the means to defend themselves, we get our backers. Everybody wins. And my father won' bother them if we tell him we're training them in case something like this happened again. He wants real soldiers, not weekend militias."

"You'll have to split the ration," Morgan said. She smiled after a few moments, "so, what're you gonna call this  _army_ of yours? Can't exactly call them the royal army you know."

She gave her a smile instead of an answer.

* * *

Emmeryn kept smiling as she remembered the rest of the conversation that night. She didn't realized it at the time, not until both Morgan and Phila told her the next day, but she was jumping on the floor the whole night, or so they said. Phila, wakened by her, listened in silence just so she wouldn't disturb her excitement. She still blushed as she remembered Morgan's laugh, just as she did when they told her.

A loud sigh broke her out of the reverie.

Mina had stopped eating. Her bowl of gruel barely depleted, something she never saw since knowing her. She was wearing the cloak she had on their first meeting, which golden trim matched her golden hair perfectly. Her entire body seemed to glow in the darkness of the dungeon. Even with the scowl on her face, Emmeryn thought she looked lovely today.

"Something wrong?"

Mina looked at her and smiled. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just really tired these past few days. I feel sluggish for no reason, I can't even finish a small portion without feeling like throwing up, and don't get me started on the morning headaches. Maybe I should start learning a new dish…"

And then it hit her.

"Show me your hands."

Mina frowned. She placed her bowl on the floor and slowly gestured both palms towards her. Emmeryn put down her bowl as well and placed the hands in hers. She rubbed their centers with her thumbs for a few seconds before she let the left one go. Still gently rubbing the right palm with one hand, she moved the others towards the wrist, lightly tracing the area with her fingers. She smiled.

"I'm not an expert, so you should definitely get someone to check on you… but I think you're pregnant."

"Huh?" Mina's frown softened. Her eyes went wide and her jaw started slipping. She retracted her hands and slowly rubbed her tummy. A small smile crept onto her face.


	27. When the Sky Comes Crashing Down part I

Wilhelmina sat alone in her room, at the edge of her bed, one hand rested gently on her belly. Her jaw tired from the smile she had for the last hour. The court physicians had confirmed Emmeryn's suspicion. And now, she found herself staring at the empty wall of her bedroom, thinking of how she'd break the news to Lazlo. What his reaction would be when she told him, what they would name the baby. What kind of parents they would be. Of course, the capital was no place to raise a child, what with the overabundance of soldiers and all. They'd move to the Midmire after all the things with Ylisse finally settled down. Emm would hopefully be back by then, and if everything went well, both countries could finally know peace, real peace, not the truce they had now. Lord Mustafa could finally retire like he always wanted. The baby would be a godsend with all the free time he'd be having. She couldn't help but chuckle when she imagined the battle-hardened veteran playing awkwardly with the child.

She was broken out of her reverie when the door creaked open. She looked and sprung up on her feet when she saw the figure entering her room.

"Sit," Aversa said. "They told me you are with a child." She pushed her palm on Mina's belly just as the younger woman was taking her seat again.

Mina let out a small yelp and pulled her body backwards.

"Be still."

She nodded and stilled herself as Aversa moved her hand all over. She twitched a few times when her teacher pushed a little too hard and the points of her nails went all the way to her skin.

"It is still far too early I suppose. Make sure you tell me should you feel anything unusual. I need to keep Lord Validar informed."

"Lord Validar?"

Aversa sighed. "Haven't you learned anything these past few years? Yours will be a child born from two blessed ones. There's a higher chance it will be blessed as well. Lord Validar would want to know regardless of the outcome, so you might as well pray it will be one."

And just like that, the images she had earlier now gone, replaced by those she'd never thought of happening to anyone, let alone her own child.

Nobody knew why, or had the gall to ask, but the Grimleals had long been gathering children with the Mark of Grima, at least the ones they could get their hands on. As far as she knew, Robin never went there, and neither did her, although that might be because her mark only appeared just as the last war ended, and Lady Aversa was seeing to her training personally. But Lazlo did go there. She still remembered how he'd rather stay awake when Lord Gangrel first took him in, only sleeping when he wasn't able to force himself awake anymore. And even years after leaving the facility, he'd had nightmares and would scream in his sleep she had to wake him up. They were coming less and less lately, although that might be because of the situation between Ylisse and Plegia right now, and he was barely sleeping again. She had asked him about his life in facility a few times before, and every time he just smiled and changed the subject, so she did some research on her own. She never gotten far with her investigation, as there was barely any record about the Grimleals other than them being the order that worshipped Grima and played a significant role in establishing Plegia some few hundred years ago, something every Plegian knew, but one piece of rumor had caught her attention.

Apparently, the Grimleals wasn't just worshipping Grima, they were actually seeking to bring the old deity back. And a vessel was needed for its astral form to anchor itself into the land of the living, whatever that meant. Everyone with the six eyes of Grima had the potential to be this vessel, and was believed to have its blessing, hence called the blessed ones. But that alone wasn't enough, so they had been gathering the children and… training them. That was the best explanation she could come up with, although judging from the little things she knew, it might not be something as pleasant as it sounded.

"… na… Mi… Mina!"

She broke out of her reverie again when something shook her shoulders. Lazlo was staring at her with a concerned look on his face. She looked around a few times. Aversa was nowhere to be found, so she set her sight back on him.

"You alright? You were gone quite a while back there."

She smiled. "I'm fine. Just a little tired lately."

He let out a relieved sigh, smiled, and changed back to the serious expression he had a moment ago. "Please don't argue with me on this," he waited for a few beats and continued, "I want you to go back to Midmire as soon as you can. Today, if possible."

"What? Why? Where did that come from?" She moved his hands from her shoulders and stood up.

Lazlo moved backwards a few steps as she rose to her feet. He looked at her in silence, shifted his gaze to the window, and back to her again.

Mina waited.

"War."

It took her a few seconds for the word to finally sink into her head. She pounced and grabbed his shoulders when it did. "What do you mean war? I thought the negotiation went well. They'd give us the Fire Emblem and a year worth of food for Emm's life."

"So did I, but apparently the king has something else in mind. He killed the last heralds they sent us and sent back the truce agreement with the bodies. I think he finally lost it."

Mina could only watch as Lazlo opened a bag and put it on the bed. "Pack up your things," he walked towards her and put his hands on her shoulder. "Go back to Midmire today, please. I'll talk to Lord Mustafa later. He planted her a kiss and walked towards the door.

She froze in place, not knowing what to do, or think. She finally broke out of her reverie when the door creaked open. "Wait, I need to tell you something."

"Can it wait? I need to get as much people from the capital in case this thing turned to full-blown war." He smiled. "Don't worry. I'll meet you back in Midmire." He left, without even waiting for her answer.

Wilhelmina could only watch the door closed in on her as she was left alone once more.

* * *

Today was different. It had been different for a while now, but today was different. Emmeryn knew that much. Mina had stopped coming for the past few days. The old guard that had been bringing her the food and water was replaced with three younger ones that preferred to toss the ration and waterskin from across the room instead of opening the iron bars, all the while a rustling sound was heard beyond the prison wall. That was the last few days, but today, the guards never came, and the sound suddenly stopped. Today was different. Emmeryn retreated to the back corner of her cell, rolled herself to a ball, and waited. Her eyes never went away from the solid wooden door at the other end of the room.

A few hours passed before the door finally opened. Aversa walked in elegantly and flashed her a wide, condescending grin.

They shared a look for a moment without saying a word to each other. Emmeryn only broke the stalemate when she noticed the silhouette of a man behind the Aversa. She pushed her brows together when he entered. His hair parted at the center and messily pointed upwards at both sides of his head, giving him the illusion of horns. His skin was unnaturally pale, like a corpse drained of its blood. His eyes were cold, yet felt somewhat familiar to her. Then he spoke.

"Last time I saw you, you were this tall," he brought his bony hand to his waist, "hiding behind your father, clung to his thigh like a lost puppy."

Her eyes bulged, her jaw dropped, and her heart stopped. It took a while for her head to stop spinning and her voice to finally find its way out of her chest.

"U…uncle Validar?" Her eyes were locked on his. "Wh…where have you been all these years? Father… looked for you. For months he looked for you, but he… never found… you seemed to just-"

"Vanished?" Validar finished he words. His voice changed to a more ethereal sound as he spoke. "To make someone disappear, completely without a trace is a feat not many can achieve. You either have to be very good at your job, like that young pup you hired, or powerful enough no one would dare to question when you said someone's gone," he paused, grinned, and continued, "like the Grimleals, for example."

 

"Yes… father thought the Grimleals had finally caught up to you… that they had… that you…" Her eyes kept moving between the two figures as she scoured her brain for the words to say.

"Ah, Ansell of Ylisse. Ever the saviour and champion of the weak. He was hard to fool, I give him that, but his… passion for justice and righteousness made him easy to exploit. A friend's death was enough to send him raging through the border."

Emmeryn furrowed her brows as she kept her sight on the scrawny man before her. Her heartbeats went wilder and wilder as her brain tried its best to comprehend what she just heard. Then it went blank.

Her eyes popped out of their sockets and she had to close her gaping mouth with her hand afterwards. She tried to move herself backwards, tried to put as much distance as she could from the duo before her. She was stopped by the cold, hard wall behind her, yet she kept pushing the floor with her feet just so she could get away from them. She finally stopped when Validar grinned and the realization of what he had done sunk in her head. What her father had done.  _What she had done._

"W-why?"

Validar's smile grew even wider. "The world works in mysterious ways, child. For years it has demanded blood, and yet nobody seems to listen. I only gave it what it wants. And I must say your father played his part quite well."

"What? Then father was just… why? And how could you? Thousand of Ylisseans, and even more Plegians had died because father-"

"Yes. And thousands more will die because of you."

Emmeryn stopped breathing at those words.

Aversa approached the cell and tossed a piece of paper inside. She smiled wickedly as Emmeryn reached for it. "It's the invitation to your execution," she said when Emmeryn had the paper in her hand. "Your brother received one just like it a few days ago. I'd imagine he's probably just outside the border with a few hundred soldiers right about now. Oh, don't give me that look. We'll make sure to bury you three siblings in the same grave when it's all over. It's least we can do for our guests of honor."

Emmeryn brought the paper to her chest and hugged it tight. Her tears finally broke as the faces of her loved ones swirled through her head and Robin's words rang through her ears. Her visitors went out shortly after, leaving her weeping alone in the dim-lit room as her world went black.

_I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry… Chrom… Lissa… Mother… … forgive me… Father._


	28. When the Sky Comes Crashing Down part II

Emmeryn stared blankly at the Great Desert before her. Her tears were all but dried. Her swollen eyes sore as she moved them from one set of soldiers to the other. Gangrel had decided the day's event called for a grand display for all the eyes present. He had her on top of the Dragon's Table, a dragon-shaped structure that was carved from a mountain, the highest point in all of Plegia. With nothing else to do, she let her eyes wandered across the land a few more times.

She chuckled.

It amused her to see how similar the armies were at that height. If not for the banners and the color of their armors, she'd never tell which one was the Plegians or her own.

The Sheperds had arrived just as the sun started climbing the sky. She stood silently as Chrom and Gangrel traded insults, and ignored them after a while, focusing on her oldest ally present.

Robin was also looking at her. Their eyes met, and for the first time since she knew him, she sensed fear, and something else she couldn't tell behind them.

They looked at each other as the time passed by, until Gangrel's cold, hard laugh broke them. Aversa smiled beside the king. Chrom swung Falchion a few times. Lissa finally stopped sobbing.

And the Great Desert was dyed red once more.

Again, all she could do was stared blankly at the silhouettes of semi-recognizable people clashed with other silhouettes of semi-recognizable people. Gangrel's laugh went louder as the two armies tore into each other. Chrom leaped, parried, and slashed his way through the Plegians. Lissa stuck close to him and Frederick, healing them as necessary. Robin stood dead center at the mass of people, directing the soldiers as he blocked the occasional attacks that would reached him. A wall of dead bodies started forming at the point the two sides met. The sand turned black as the Ylisseans inched forward and the Plegians pushed back.

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. So she just watched. As her brother, her sister, her friends fought and killed the enemies blocking their way, all for the sake of saving her. Hundreds of lives would fall today, just so one could live.

The fight slowed down to a halt as both sides had to crawl through the pile of fresh corpses between them. Robin had ordered for the soldiers to fall back from the Plegians' defense line. The Plegians, probably thinking they had the upper hand, pushed forward, trampling over the dead bodies, sending them further and further down into the earth. It was the Ylisseans' turn to be on the defense. Robin had them packed in a tight circle, eliminating any hole their enemies could punch through. The advancing Plegians fell one by one as they reached the Ylisseans' shield wall. The two sides were so focused on each other they seemed to be in their own world right now.

Then an explosion boomed from the direction of the castle. Gangrel's laugh dropped and the whole world stopped as droves of soldiers bearing Ferox's banner went for the Plegians at their rear, all while a flock of pegasi took to the sky from the large, gaping hole on the castle wall.

Emmeryn's eyes heated up again, and she felt the slightest of tug at the corner of her lips as Phila led the pegasus knights towards her. One of them launched a javelin and impaled the soldier stationed right behind her. Underneath the fatigued eyes and dried lips, Phila managed to flash her a smile as they closed in on her.

She smiled back, and reached forward, just as Phila's smile twisted into a frown. Her hand clutched onto the tip of the arrowhead jutting out of her chest as she went down. Droplets of Phila's blood burned Emmeryn's skin as she saw, one by one, the members of her escort disappeared, leaving just the bright, blue sky before her.

It took a while for her brain to register what had just happened. She braved herself to peek at the ground below, and finally, she understood the things hidden behind Robin's gaze earlier.

_Despair._

Below, the wall of dead bodies was gone. The Plegian forces grew in just minutes, with living, breathing humans facing the Sheperds, and bloodied, moving corpses facing the Feroxis. Stilled bodies of Phila and the knights laid dormant at the base of the tower. Gangrel's laugh filled the air once again.

Time stopped as both sides renewed their stances with the new development. Chrom glared at Gangrel, tightening his grip on Falchion's hilt as Frederick and his knights checked the Plegians. Healers of both sides raised their staves in the complete silence of the mid-afternoon. Nobody dared to move even a finger as the fight waited for the first blood of its second coming.

Except for one.

Robin's head moved from his right to the left, up, down, and back to his right as he committed the new field to his mind. Today had changed for the worse, even for a tactician as talented as Robin. He had taken a great risk in dividing their forces just to get to her. If only they had known the risens actually had a side. If only they knew Aversa would be able to control them. If only they never had to come for her. And now, no matter what he picked, the Sheperds would get home with less than half their numbers. Unless she did something about it.

Emmeryn wiped her tears dry and pointed both hands to the sky. She closed her eyes and prayed to anything that would hear her. And yet, the only one she could see was the silhouette of her father, all bloodied and bruised. The father she abandoned for her foolish sense of justice. She took a deep breath and focused every ounce of energy she had left to her palms. A loud boom bloomed over her head as she opened her eyes. She pushed the ground hard and dragged her feet to the very edge of the tower. She looked down, and all eyes were on her. Waiting.

"People of Archanea," she started, "is it too late for us to start over again?" She waited, and yet, nothing. "I wasn't there, so I won't ask you to remember the glorious times of the old kings, but I do beg you to at least remember our origin." Still, nothing.

"Remember, on this very land, our ancestors fought side by side, trying to bring light to the dark world. And they succeeded. Is a thousand years that long of a time, we actually forgotten the sacrifices they had made? Have we gone so long not talking to each other we felt nothing of the brothers and sisters fallen before us today? Look! Look in front of you." She pointed to the horde of risens before her. "Will we just stay our hands when our fallens defiled, and forced to live such humiliation even in their deaths? Have we lost our compassion somewhere in the last thousand years we can't feel anything for them?"

"Shut you mouth, woman." Finally, a response from her audience. A voice she easily recognized. She shifted her eyes to look at the speaker. Gangrel's eyes were as red as his hair when he looked to her. "I don't know where we lost that thing you called compassion, but I sure as hell know when. Don't tell me you actually have no idea about that."

For some reason, she couldn't help but smile at his answer.  _Father._ "I admit, my father was not the best thing that had happened to us. And there is nothing I can say, or do, that will erase what he had done. But my father is no more. Let's not speak of the dead as they are still a part of us. And there is nothing he can do anymore to change the history. That is a right only granted to the living. So, here, I ask you, Lord King, and I ask you, my brothers and sisters of Plegia, is there nothing we can do to correct what was wrong?"

Silent. That was the answer.

"Are you really that old you've lost your memory… wench?"

"Gangrel, you dastard." Chrom snapped.

"Shut up, princeling. This doesn't concern you."

"Oh, but it is." Chrom smirked. He reached for his back, and unveiled the thing he had wrapped in a dark blue cloth to Gangrel. A golden shield, with five holes in the front, one slotted with a white jewel.  _The Fire Emblem._  "You want it? Come and get it."

Gangrel shouted, and grinned.

"Chrom, stop." Emmeryn said when the Plegian king reached for his own sword. Chrom looked at her in protest. "That's an order." Her last word actually managed to get to him, and the two royals halted their movement. She then looked at Gangrel and lowered her head. "I am sorry, Lord Gangrel, but the Fire Emblem is one thing I am not willing to surrender."

"Hah. And after all that talk about doing everything to correct the past. How… self-centered can you be?"

"Lord Gangrel, I-"

"Shut it. I'm tired of this conversation anyway." He jutted his chin at a soldier beside him.

The soldier nodded, turned towards her, and put an arrow in his bow.

Emmeryn sighed.

"Gangrel, stop." Chrom's shout halted the archer's hand. "You win. Take the emblem. Just… give her back to us."

"Huh, I guess the brother knows how to negotiate." Chrom let out a sigh of relief. "But you see, princeling, I don't negotiate. I simply… take what I want. Which is one thing your sister and I have in common, apparently."

The archer went back and pulled his arrow straight.

"So I guess there is no room to talk today?"

"Not now, not ever. Your father didn't even give us the time to surrender."

Emmeryn raised her hand and showed her palm at Chrom as the Sheperds getting ready to move again.

"Then there is nothing else for me to say." She brought her hand to her mouth and bit the thumb. She cringed as the taste of rusted copper spread in her mouth and the warm liquid wet her lips. She painted her other palm with her blood, and looked at it for one second. Now her hand was dyed red as well, just like how it should. She looked at the all the people before her, that for some reason still waiting for her.

"People of Archanea. Hundreds of our own had gone down today, and hundreds more will be lost if we keep on going like this. I do not know how long will this war go on, but I pray, that one day, we can go back to being one again. I pray, that one day, my Plegian brothers and sisters will find it in their heart to forgive us. And to the Ylisseans, let us not think of ourselves as the only just ones in this earth. I have seen, both sides have the capacity for good, and bad. Let us not forget who started this war in the first place. And I will never forget, when I have nothing, the Plegians gave me everything."

"Emm, what are you talking about? Just-"

She looked at Chrom as he was about too finish his sentence. Then to Lissa. Then to Robin. "Chrom, Lissa, I'm sorry if I wasn't able to give you the things you deserved. I'm sorry if I have ever chose the people over the two of you, but know this. No matter what happens, I will always love you. And Robin, they could be quite handful sometimes, but their hearts are at the right place. Please take good care of them." Chrom was lost without a word. Lissa had started sobbing. Robin just stared at her.

_Too rash?_

Emmeryn wiped her tears and smiled. "People of Archanea. Please remember. No matter what happens, remember this. One man's action started this war. Hopefully, another one's action is enough to end it."

She closed her eyes, reached for the bloodied back of the father she kept seeing all this years, and took another step forward.


	29. Robin

Robin froze. He knew the futility of this rescue mission even before the marched out of Ylisse. He thought about the terrain, he thought about the soldiers, he thought about the resistant they'd get. Even the possibility the moving corpses might had ties to Plegian dark magic did cross his mind. He anticipated everything. He prepared for everything. He sent spies into Plegia to scout the routes and leave some supplies. He bribed the few chieftains he could so they'd get their men out. He even divided their armies for the counter-attack.

He never anticipated this.

So he froze, unable to move nor blink his eyes as Emmeryn fall closer and closer to the golden sand dyed with patches of red and black.

Emmeryn disappeared beyond the wall of corpses and men. Soldiers, dead and alive inched towards him in ranks do tight he couldn't even see past the second file. Robin gripped his sword tightly and raised his shield. He thought he heard Chrom's scream, but he ignored it, choosing to put his trust on Frederick instead.

Robin's eyes hunted through the surroundings, every fiber in his brain for a way to punch through the wall made from flesh and steel. Even with an escape route already planned, it wouldn't mean a thing if they could not get out. He scrutinized every inch of the enemy's shield wall but failed to find any spot for them to pierce through, at least not without losing a few on their side in the process. The living soldiers had their shield arranged together so tight they looked like a continuous sheet of metal moving forward. Robin ground his teeth as he did what he does best.

Calculating.

He calculated the odds of at least half of their ranks would make back to Ylisstol. He wondered who would be good as the vanguard. Would Kellam be able to withstand the onslaught while Lon'qu and Vaike pierce a hole in Plegia's defense? He clicked his tongue when he remembered horses were useless on the soft sand, else he'd just send Sully and Stahl behind the line to open a route from the back. Maybe he could send Gregor and Nowi, the newcomers they picked up on their journey here. No one in the Sheperds would mourn them if they were to die here, and if they were spies from Plegia, that would be one less thing for him to worry about. Then Robin cursed himself for actually forgetting the details of their encounter with the pair.

Nowi could fly.

Robin looked up. The sky was blue. Clear, without any indication of the bloodbath taking place on the ground. No flyers would even think of taking to the sky after what happened to the pegasus knights earlier. His eyes went wild looking for the group of archers. If he could get Nowi to take care of them, he could send Cordelia and Sumia along with the mages to the sky, then they might had a chance of going home alive. His work was done for him a few moments later, when an arrow, as if it knew he was looking for them, flew straight at him. Robin spotted the flying arrow and blocked it just in time. He smiled.

The archers were lined in one of the trenches he had made during his last campaign with Plegia. His eyes met with the eyes of the soldier that shot him. Even from the distance, he could make the look of awe on the boy's face, no doubt questioning the odds of his move earlier. The soldier just stood there for a moment, brows frowned together and jaw hanged low, when he finally realized his exposed position and jumped back inside the trench.

Robin sighed, then screamed her name at the top of his lungs so she would hear him among the clanking steel and painful groans.

In seconds, Nowi appeared before him, with a twitching risen in her mouth. Robin jumped on her back and ordered the Sheperds to stay their ground and wait for his signal. He instructed Nowi to head for the trench, and she followed, despite the protests.

He jumped down as soon as they arrived over the hole on the ground, thrusting his sword down and stabbed the archer that was getting her bow ready. He now stood face-to-face with the boy that shot him earlier. And Robin sensed fear in his eyes. The fear that turned into cold, questioning stare as Robin sunk his sword inside him, while he was still fumbling with his knife.

The other archers had their arrows pointed at the sky, towards the red dragon that dove down and hurling fireballs at them only to fly back up when their arrows left their bow,

Robin sighed. The were so occupied with Nowi they failed to realise the obvious. Gripping his sword tight, Robin slowed his breathing and recalled the fire that burned his home and adopted parents to ashes. He summoned the raw stench of blood that dyed the snow red the day the Sanctum fell. A memory he hid deep inside him, along with Morgan's jagged breathing. He was still seeing Emmeryn's tears as she fell to her death just moments ago. And he played them over and over again in his head until his heart ached and his gut burned. A heat that spread rapidly through his lungs and to his throat and to his eyes. He was done calculating.

It was time for killing.

* * *

Robin directed Nowi to fly to the back of the Plegian soldiers when the shot to the sky again. She opened their attack with a fireball right to the center of the ranks. The living soldiers scattered away while the walking corpses were cindered black as they swung their swords and axes blindly. Then flashes of white joined them in the air. Cordelia had Ricken riding with her, while Miriel flew with Sumia. And both mages already had their tomes opened and their fires primed.

Thus the Sheperds counterattack began.

Mages and dragon hurled fireballs behind enemy lines, while Kellam and Lon'qu and Vaike approached the assault upfront, focusing on the thinnest part of Plegia's shieldwall where fire burned the brightest. Chrom shouted and screamed as he swing Falchion blindly at the soldiers unfortunate enough to be in his way. Frederick stuck close to his lord, stabbing the enemies away while Panne kicked and bit the enemies nearby.

Gritting their teeth, the Sheperds finally punched through Plegia's defense and made way for their escape route as Robin and the fliers kept bombing the enemies tailing behind.

For the day they went through, the journey to Midmire where they would then cross the border to Ferox was uneventful. They expected some kind of ambush along the way, but the road was void of anything, living or dead. Chrom was convinced it was because of Emmeryn's speech, that in her dying moments, she was able to reach some of the Plegians to give up their arms. Robin thought it was because Gangrel needed all his armies in the capital, and this part of Plegia had not seen any fight for a while there were no bodies to re-animate, but he was in no mood to argue. The sooner they get out of Plegia, the better.

The Sheperds marched in silence as the weight of their failure haunted them. Lissa's cry had turned to sobs as Maribelle consulted her in her arms. Chrom couldn't even get his eyes off the ground, and had to be guided by Frederick and Sumia just so he would not stumble on the hard rocks that made the region. Walking beside Robin, Cordelia could only stared at the Prince's back in silence.

Approaching the MIdmire, they were greeted by Mustafa and his men, weapons gripped tightly in hands. "My condolences, Prince Chrom."

Hearing the Plegian general, Chrom finally lifted his head. He tightened his grip on the Falchion, and only stared at him.

"I am sorry it had to end that way. And it may be hard for you to believe it, but Lady Emmeryn was-"

"Shut up." Chrom pointed at Mustafa with his sword. "Don't you dare speak her name, you, you  _Plegian_."

Mustafa let out a regretful smile at Chrom's choice of word. "So you would call us that too? I guess after what happened, it is understandable." He paused, and straightened his face once more. "Are you going to fight us?"

Chrom was livid. Robin knew that much. His eyes were bulging out of their sockets. His knuckles turned white just gripping the Falchion. Robin could hear the jagged breaths alongside the sound of grinding teeth. Chrom let out a scream and smashed Falchion hard to the ground. "Get out of our way, and you'll live today."

Mustafa looked for a moment and moved a few steps to the left. He motined at his men, and they moved to left and to the right, clearing an opening just enough for the Sheperds to go through, where another group of people waited at the back. Mina was among them, standing at the front and center with two small children hugging her blouse. Behind her were a pair of Plegian mages, a white haired man and a black haired woman who had a small bundle of clothes hugged tightly to her chest. There were a few more young men and women behind them. Some had children around their legs, in their arms, and on their backs. Some stared at the Sheperds as they cling to their parents' clothes, others slept peacefully like nothing mattered.

"If you seek a safe passage out of here, it is yours to take. All I ask, is for you to bring them with you. Gangrel will arrive before long, and he would kill every single one of us if we let you go, you might as well do the job for him. At least we know yours will be swift."

An overbearing silence lingered following Mustafa's words.

"Suits yourself." Chrom walked straight ahead, ignoring the frowning crowd at the back. And the Sheperds followed.

Robin turned towards Cordelia and said, "look after them for me." She stared at him, nodded, and went to the group. She said something to the now crying Wilhelmina, took the two children and mounted them on Aurora. Mina ran forward and pulled Mustafa into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry, Lord Mustafa. I have been chasing the parents in my dreams all this years, I never realize I should just wake up and do this a long time ago," she said between sobs. "Thank you, for everything, father."

Mustafa smiled. He pat and kissed the top of her head. "Be safe, child."

Wilhelmina nodded. She wiped her tears, looked at Robin for a few moments, and ran back for Cordelia. They both disappeared among the crowds making their way towards Ferox.

"You think she would still say the same thing if she know I killed her parents?"

"Who knows. Men are fickle things. Sometimes we refuse death, fighting with only teeth and nails if we had to, only to welcome it with open arms the next day."

Mustafa chuckled. "That hits close to home."

"Don't do this. Come with me. We could use more good men."

"And go where? Midmire is our home. Who else will fight for it if it's not us?"

"Does it matter? Dead's dead."

"It matters to them." Mustafa pointed at the empty road leading towards Ferox. "We fight today so that they may live. So that they may come home tomorrow with their heads held high, knowing we did the right thing."

"I'm sick of people throwing away their lives so others could live. Why not cling to dear life, and die together for once? All the great stories have those too."

"And yet all everyone remembers is the heroes sacrificing their lives for their love ones. You may not agree, or even the feel the same way as us, but you of all people know the value of what we're doing now."

Robin chuckled. "I had one," he finally broke his eyes away from the muddy road and looked at Mustafa, "someone I would gladly throw my life away just so she could smile another day." He paused. "She thought the same thing about me."

Mustafa put his hands on Robin's shoulders, and squeezed them tight. "Then we shall pray. All of us, to the end of our short breaths, that you'd find that someone again. Life is too lonely to walk it alone."

Robin smiled. "Thank you, Lord Mustafa. It was an honor." He gestured a hand towards him.

Mustafa shook his head. "I'm afraid a handshake won't cut it this time, boy." He grabbed Robin, and pulled him into his arms. "The honor's all mine. What I wouldn't give, to serve a commander as brilliant as you, one more time."

The old friends broke away from one another, and smiled as they shook hands, as the rain poured heavier and heavier, and as Plegia's war drums beat louder and louder.

"You need to go. Now."

Robin nodded. He looked at Mustafa and the rest of his men, some he knew from his time before in Plegia, one last time, and gave them a long, silent bow.

* * *

" _Is it true? They say you'll retire? This is you last?_

" _Why does everyone keep asking me that? Is it so hard to believe a guy doesn't want to do this forever?"_

" _I think they're just dreading who will replace you. I mean, who can replace you?So, what's next?"_

" _I don't know. I always wanted to travel and see the world. Al said there's a valley full of wyverns, and a tree big as a mountain in Valm. Seems like a good place to start. That, or, I don't know. I have a few coins saved over the years. Probably enough for a house and a small farm somewhere."_

" _You seem happy. That's, that's good. So, that's it? You'll just, I don't know, let everything go and be a wanderer or a farmer somewhere?_

" _Probably not, no. I think it's the prospect of trying new things is what excites me. Fifteen years is a long time to be living with a grudge. I couldn't even get rid of it if I wanted to, not even after this one. But you know what? I think it's time to move on. Al did, Without glancing back once. It's about time I do the same."_

" _Do you, do you think you have some space for another one on the cart? Or in the small house in the farm?"_

* * *

Robin woke up a sore neck and rigid back. Ferox's harsh wind stung his face and made him shiver. He put on his cloak and lighted a rolled tobacco instead of closing the window in front of his desk. Taking a deep breath, he took out the ring he inherited from the birth mother he didn't even know. It was a simple gold band with clouds engravings running the whole length. He rolled and twisted it in his fingers as he puffed out the smoke from his lungs. Catching the light of Ferox's evening sun, the ring revealed the engraving written in Old Plegian on the inside wall. He read it over and over again as he rolled it in his finger and puffed out another white trail of smoke. Then the door of his room slammed open so Robin tucked the ring dangling from the silver chain back inside his shirt and looked back to find Chrom, jaws clenched and eyes red, glaring at him.

"Out, now," he spat and disappeared into the hallway.

Robin put off the tobacco, grabbed his sword on the bed and followed.

The sun was already setting when they arrived at the training ground, dyeing the white snow around Castle Ferox a fine shade of red. Someone had butchered all the training dummies there. One laid motionless on the ground with stab wounds all over it. A few more were still standing, but without their limbs. Many were scattered around the area, in pieces. Robin rolled a head with his foot and kicked it to the side when Chrom took out Falchion and pointed at him.

"Draw."

Robin stared at the prince for a moment before sliding his sword out. "First blood?" Chrom tightened his grip on Falchion in silence. "To the death, then."

Chrom screamed, raised Falchion high above his head and lunged forward, a clunky move not even a squire would make that Robin parried with ease as he took one step back. Chrom screamed again, and followed with another haymaker.

"Have you gotten some rest since we get back?"

"Shut up." Chrom was barely able to lift his sword, yet he swung anyway. "You, you said she's going to be fine. Look where she is now." He He punctuated each sentence with a slash, a stab, and then another slash.

Robin stopped the last one with a simple block from his sword. "You should get some rest."

Chrom was kneeling on the ground. The Falchion laid flat before him. "Now she's gone." He raised his head to look at Robin, "I couldn't even get her body home." Tears finally flowed out of his bulging eyes. He lied on the ground and laughed as he stared at the sky.

Some of the Sheperds and Ferox's soldiers came out to see the commotion they made. "Chrom." Lissa and Sumia walked towards the prince when Robin stopped them.

"What should I do? How can we get peace like Emm says, if I can't even look at him without wanting to thrust my sword down his throat?"

"Then kill him."

Chrom's eyes bulged even bigger, this time from surprise instead of rage. He pushed the back of his head against the ground to look at Robin.

"Don't flatter yourself, Chrom. You're not Emm, so don't even try to do things her way. You said it yourself. In another time, she would make a great leader. But this is now. The present is cruel to that kindness." Seeing the hesitation in Chrom's eyes. Robin pushed further. "But don't be as your father either. You are you. You're killing Gangrel because of what he did to you, not for some delusion of saving the world, because the world doesn't need saving. It had been here long before we came, it will be here long after we're gone. And if Gangrel's death brings peace to this land, that is just a… happy coincidence. That's all there is."

Chrom's tears had finally stopped. He was sitting now, still staring at Robin. A pregnant silence lingered after Robin stopped talking. The Sheperds and the Feroxis and the Plegians all had their eyes on the two men surrounded by pieces of chopped wood and cut straws and old leathers.

"My father was a young man like me once. And like, he was just seeking justice for someone dear to him. But he was alone. And the road of vengeance was dark and twisted he took a wrong turn along the way. Will you walk this path with me? So that when the road goes dark and I took the wrong turn, someone could drag me back. Or at the very least, to have a friend at the end of it all."

It was Robin's turn to stare in silence. The day had turned to night and the snow sparkled from the full moon in the clear sky. "Get up."

Chrom tried to do as instructed, but stumbled just as he straightened his legs. Sumia and Lissa helped him rose to his full height as he stabbed Falchion to the ground trying to steady himself.

:Just so you know, I've only done this once in my entire life." Robin pointed his sword at the prince, raised it high and flipped the tip downward. He thrusted it with all the strength he had left and buried half the blade into the ground.

Grabbing the hilt with both hands, the Plegian kneeled before the Crown Prince of Ylisse.

"In the name of the Silvers, I am bound to you, my brother, my captain, my… king, until I deliver Gangrel's head, or the land claims me."

With shivering hands, Chrom raised Falchion and touched it to Robin's left shoulder, and moved it to the right. "And I shall be bound to you, my brother, my shadow, as my equal, until Gangrel sleeps in his grave, or I'm in mine." He then let the blade dangled in front of Robin.

Robin took the edge in his hand and pointed the tip at his throat as he kissed the blade. Chrom took back the blade, kissed it's hilt and dropped it down to use as his cane again. Robin finally stood up, wiped the sand off his sword on his boot, and put it back in its sheath.

"You should get some rest. It will be along day tomorrow."


End file.
